UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

REGION III

	1650 Arch Street

	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  19103

DATE:	September 17, 2009

SUBJECT:	Technical Support Document for Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
– Determination of Clean Data for the 1997 Fine Particulate Matter
Standard

FROM:	Jacqueline Lewis, Environmental Engineer /s/ 

Air Quality Planning Branch 

TO:		File

THRU:	Cristina Fernandez /s/

		Chief, Air Quality Planning Branch

A.  BACKGROUND

On July 18, 1997 (62 FR 36852), EPA established a health-based PM2.5
NAAQS at 15.0 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) based on a 3-year
average of annual mean PM2.5 concentrations, and a twenty-four hour
standard of 65 µg/m3 based on a 3-year average of the 98th percentile
of 24-hour concentrations.  EPA established the standards based on
significant evidence and numerous health studies demonstrating that
serious health effects are associated with exposures to particulate
matter.  The process for designating areas following promulgation of a
new or revised NAAQS is contained in section 107(d)(1) of the CAA.  EPA
and State air quality agencies initiated monitoring for the 1997 PM2.5
NAAQS in 1999.  On January 5, 2005 (70 FR 944), EPA published its air
quality designations and classifications for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS based
upon air quality monitoring data from those monitors for calendar years
2001-2003.  These designations became effective on April 5, 2005.  The
Baltimore and Maryland portion of the Hagerstown-Martinsburg
nonattainment areas were designated nonattainment for the 1997 PM2.5
NAAQS (see 40 CFR Part 81).

On July 31, 2009 (74 FR 38161) EPA published a notice of proposed
rulemaking (NPR) to determine that the Baltimore and Maryland portion of
the Hagerstown-Martinsburg nonattainment areas for the 1997 fine
particulate (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) has
clean data for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS.  This proposed determination is
based upon quality assured, quality controlled, and certified ambient
air monitoring data that show that these areas have monitored attainment
of the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS based on 2006 - 2008 data.

  

On August 31, 2009, EarthJustice submitted comments on both the July 31,
2009 rulemaking for Maryland and a similar rulemaking (74 FR 38154) for
nonattainment areas in West Virginia that was published on the same
date.  Earth Justice requested that the 2009 data referred to in the
notice be placed in the docket and that the comment period be reopened
to enable the public to comment on whether the data supports EPA’s
determination that these areas have clean data.  This TSD contains the
information requested by EarthJustice and clarifies the 2006-2008 data
that EPA relied upon to support its determination that each of these
areas have clean data.  This TSD only addresses the data that pertains
to the July 31, 2009 rulemaking for the Baltimore and Maryland portion
of the Hagerstown-Martinsburg nonattainment areas.

B.  EPA REQUIREMENTS

A nonattainment area for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS is determined to have
clean data when the design values for the annual and the 24-hour
standards meet the requirements stipulated in 40 CFR Part 50, section
50.7 as follows:

  

(1) The annual primary and secondary PM2.5 standards are met when the
annual arithmetic mean concentration, as determined in accordance with
40 CFR Part 50, Appendix N, is less than or equal to 15.0 µg/m3; 

(2) The 24-hour primary and secondary PM2.5 standards are met when the
98th percentile 24-hour concentration, as determined in accordance with
40 CFR Part 50, Appendix N, is less than or equal to 65 µg/m3.

	

Upon a determination by EPA that an area designated nonattainment for
the PM2.5NAAQS has attained the standard, 40 CFR section 51.1004(c)
provides that the requirements for such area to submit attainment
demonstrations and associated reasonably available control measures,
reasonable further progress plans, contingency measures, and other
planning SIPs related to attainment of the PM2.5NAAQS shall be suspended
until such time as the area is redesignated to attainment, at which time
the requirements no longer apply, or if EPA determines that the area has
violated the PM2.5  NAAQS, at which time the area is again required to
submit such plans.

C.  EPA’S ANALYSIS OF MONITORED DATA

1.  2006 – 2008 data

EPA’s determination that the Baltimore and Maryland portion of the
Hagerstown-Martinsburg nonattainment areas have clean data is based upon
quality assured, quality controlled and certified ambient air monitoring
data for the 2006 – 2008 period, as measured by Federal reference
method (FRM), Federal equivalent method (FEM), or Approved Regional
Method (ARM) monitors described in 40 CFR Part 50 Appendix N.  The
monitors used to determine the design value for the Baltimore and
Maryland portion of the Hagerstown-Martinsburg nonattainment areas are
listed below.  

Table 1.  Baltimore, Maryland Nonattainment Area - Annual Design Values

 City	Site ID	2006 Annual Mean	2007 Annual Mean	2008 Annual Mean	Annual
Design Value

Glen Burnie	24-003-1003	13.78908	13.415705	12.62814	13.3

Cockeysville	24-005-1007	12.554614	13.299239	12.050785	12.6

Essex	24-005-3001	14.250143	14.030058	12.635154	13.6

Edgewood	24-025-1001	11.545546	12.192596	11.085861	11.6

Baltimore	24-510-0035	14.820790	14.147969	14.54*	14.5

Baltimore	24-510-0040	14.943863	14.190132	12.847468	NA

Baltimore	24-510-0006	13.167778	13.092772	12.154004	12.8

Baltimore	24-510-0007	12.862948	13.386258	12.362925	12.9

Baltimore	24-510-0008	14.497423	14.974722	12.66425	14.0

NA – Monitor has been declared not comparable to the Annual NAAQS

*   Monitor shut down in August 2008, therefore the monitor has been
declared not comparable to the Annual NAAQS

Table 2.  Hagerstown-Martinsburg Nonattainment Area – Annual Design
Values

City, State	Site ID	2006 Annual Mean	2007 Annual Mean	2008 Annual Mean
Annual Design Value

Hagerstown, MD	24-043-0009	11.88895	12.86864	11.83295	12.2

Martinsburg, WV	54-003-0003	14.93367	15.61224	14.18796	14.9



Table 3.  Baltimore, Maryland Nonattainment Area  – 24-Hour Design
Values

City	Site ID	2006 98th Percentile Concentration	2007 98th Percentile
Concentration 	2008 98th Percentile Concentration 	24- Hour Design Value















Glen Burnie	24-003-1003	31.7	34.8	34.4	34















Cockeysville	24-005-1007	32.3	31.5	30.7	32















Essex	24-005-3001	34.3	34.2	29.8	33















Baltimore	24-025-1001	28.8	29.2	28.1	29















Baltimore	24-510-0006	32.8	32.7	33.4	33















Baltimore	24-510-0007	32.7	34.3	30.7	33















Baltimore	240510-0035	37.3	33.9	*	*















Baltimore	24-510-0008	35.5	36.3	32.7	35















Baltimore	24-510-0040	36.1	35.2	30.6	34















*   Monitor shut down in August 2008, therefore the monitor has been
declared not comparable to the 24 Hour NAAQS

Table 4. Hagerstown-Martinsburg Nonattainment Area  – 24 Hour Design
Values

City, State	Site ID	2006 98th Percentile Concentration	2007 98th
Percentile Concentration 	2008 98th Percentile Concentration 	24-hour
Design Value

Hagerstown, MD	24-043-0009	29.8	29.0	29.7	30

Martinsburg, WV	54-003-0003	31.4	31.4	30.8	31



2.  2009 data 

	At the time of EPA’s proposed determination, EPA did not have State
certified air quality data for the entire 2009 calendar year.  The State
certified air quality data for the entire 2009 calendar year will not be
available until well into calendar year 2010, and therefore, cannot be
used for purposes of design value calculations during calendar year
2009.  Therefore, EPA did not rely upon any 2009 data to support its
proposed determination that the above areas have clean data.  However,
as part of the proposed determination, EPA made reference to a portion
of the 2009 air quality data that was currently available.  EPA
referenced such partial 2009 data because it indicated a continuing
trend that is consistent with EPA’s proposed determination:  the air
quality monitors located in Baltimore and the Maryland portion of the
Hagerstown-Martinsburg 1997 PM 2.5 nonattainment areas are continuing to
monitor clean data.  The portion of the 2009 data that was available at
the time of EPA’s proposed determination is provided below for
informational purposes and as requested by EarthJustice. 

Table 5.  Baltimore Maryland Nonattainment Area – 2009 Data

Site ID	City	County	First Quarter 2009	Second Quarter 2009

24-003-1003	Glen Burnie	Anne Arundel	12.74	9.72

24-005-1007	Cockeysville	Baltimore	11.77	10.32

24-005-3001	Essex	Baltimore	13.29	9.38

24-025-1001	Edgewood	Harford	9.61	9.93

24-510-0006	Baltimore	Baltimore	11.75	9.82

24-510-0007	Baltimore	Baltimore	11.67	9.93

24-510-0008	Baltimore	Baltimore	13.24	9.35

24-510-0040	Baltimore	Baltimore	13.63	9.91



Table 6.  Hagerstown-Martinsburg Nonattainment Area – 2009 Data

Site ID	City 	County 	State	First Quarter

2009	Second Quarter 2009

240430009	Hagerstown	Washington Co	MD	10.79	9.62

540030003	Martinsburg	Berkely Co	WV	14.02	11.35



D.  CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDED AGENCY ACTION

	Based on the quality assured, quality controlled, and certified ambient
air monitoring data that show that the Baltimore and Maryland portion of
the Hagerstown-Martinsburg PM2.5 nonattainment areas have monitored
attainment for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS based on 2006 – 2008 data, EPA is
making the determination that these areas have clean data.  The 2009
data was referred to in the July 31, 2009 NPR only to show the
continuing trend for this area to attain the standard, but was not
relied on in the clean data determination.  Although the 2009 data is
provided in this TSD at the request of EarthJustice, is not relevant to
the clean data determination, and will not be included in the record for
purposes of the new public comment period.  

 Design values are the metrics that are compared to the NAAQS levels to
determine attainment, and are calculated as follows:

(1) The 3-year average of annual means for a single monitoring site or a
group of monitoring sites (referred to as the “annual standard design
value”). If spatial averaging has been approved by EPA for a group of
sites which meet the criteria specified in section 2(b) of this appendix
and section 4.7.5 of appendix D of 40 CFR part 58, then 3 years of
spatially averaged annual means will be averaged to derive the annual
standard design value for that group of sites (further referred to as
the “spatially averaged annual standard design value ”). Otherwise,
the annual standard design value will represent the 3-year average of
annual means for a single site (further referred to as the “single
site annual standard design value ”).

(2) The 3-year average of annual 98th percentile 24-hour average values
recorded at each monitoring site (referred to as the “24-hour standard
design value”).  (See 40 CFR part 50 Appendix N)

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