UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

REGION IV

Technical Support Document  

EPA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

For 

μg/m3 based on a 3-year average of annual mean PM2.5 concentrations. 
At that time, EPA also established a 24-hour standard of 65 μg/m3
(today’s action does not address the 24-hour standard).  See 40 CFR
50.7.  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
Cincinnati Area was designated nonattainment for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS. 
See 40 CFR 81.336 (Ohio), 40 CFR 81.318 (Kentucky), and 40 CFR 81.315
(Indiana).

	

micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) based on a 3-year average of annual
mean PM2.5 concentrations.  On November 13, 2009, EPA clarified the
designations for the NAAQS promulgated in 1997, stating that the
Cincinnati Area was designated as nonattainment for the annual standard.
 

B.  EPA REQUIREMENTS

A nonattainment area for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS is determined to have
attaining data when the design value for the annual standard meets the
requirements stipulated in 40 CFR Part 50, section 50.13 as follows:

The annual primary and secondary PM2.5standards are met when the annual
arithmetic mean concentration, as determined in accordance with appendix
N of this part, is less than or equal to 15.0 µg/m3 .

	

Upon determination by EPA that an area designated nonattainment for the
PM2.5 NAAQS has attained the standard, 40 CFR section 51.1004(c)
provides that the requirement 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 PM2.5 NAAQS shall be
suspended until the area is redesignated to attainment, at which time
the requirement no longer applies.  However, if EPA subsequently
determines that the area has violated the PM2.5 NAAQS, the requirement
to submit such plans is reinstated.

C.  EPA’S ANALYSIS OF MONITORED DATA

EPA’s determination that the Cincinnati nonattainment Area is
attaining the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS is based upon complete, quality assured,
quality controlled and certified ambient air monitoring data for the
2007-2009 period, as measured by Federal reference method, Federal
equivalent method, or Approved Regional Method monitors described in 40
CFR Part 50, Appendix N.  The monitors and data used to determine the
2007-2009 annual PM2.5 design value for the Cincinnati nonattainment
area are included in the table below.

Annual PM2.5 Design Values for Monitors in the Cincinnati Nonattainment
Area



Location	

AQS site ID	2007

98th

Percentile	2008

98th

Percentile	2009

98th

Percentile	2007-2009

Design Value

Verity	39-017-0003	15.4	13.8	12.8	14.0

Sacred Heart School	39-017-0016	14.9	13.8	13.1	13.9

Batavia	39-025-0022	14.0	11.7	11.0	12.3

Sycamore	39-061-0006	14.6	12.5	12.1	13.1

Carthage	39-061-0014	16.6	15.1	13.4	15.0

Taft	39-061-0040	15.1	12.6	12.7	13.5

Lower Price Hill	39-061-0042	15.9	14.4	13.7	14.7

Norwood	39-061-7001	15.1	13.7	13.0	13.9

Murray Rd	39-061-8001	16.1	14.4	13.4	14.6

Lebanon	39-165-0007	14.0	11.9	11.7	12.5

NKU	21-037-3002	14.4	11.8	11.3	12.5

Covington	21-117-0007	14.2	12.0	11.0	12.4



 μg/m3 in 2007, and an annual average concentration in 2008 of 13.3
μg/m3.  The average concentration for the most recent three years of
available data, i.e., 2006-2008, was 14.2 μg/m3.  This average
concentration is consistent with attainment of the NAAQS.  

The Hook Field Airport site monitored an annual average concentration of
14.6 μg/m3 for 2007.  The average concentration for the most recent
three years of available data, i.e., 2005-2007, was 15.0 μg/m3.  This
average concentration is consistent with attainment of the NAAQS.

.4 μg/m3, the annual average of concentrations in 2008 was 11.8 μg/m3,
and the annual average of concentrations in 2009 was 11.3 μg/m3.  The
average concentration using available data in 2007 to indicate 2007
concentrations and using complete data in 2008 and 2009 is 12.5 μg/m3.

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<μg/m3, except for the Murray Road site in Cincinnati.  The Murray Road
site has a preliminary 2008-2010 design value of 15.1 μg/m3; however,
the site was shut down in February of the first quarter of 2010 due to
safety issues.  Region 5 approved the shut down in a letter dated
December 21, 2010.  The partial first quarter of 2010 data before the
monitor shut down showed the only data above the NAAQS for the 2008-2010
period.  The 2008 design value was 14.4 μg/m3 and the 2009 design value
was 13.4 μg/m3.  Approval was granted for the site to be shut down
because the Carthage Fire site registered a higher design value and is
located approximately a mile from the Murray Road site.  A comparison of
the 2007-2009 data showed the sites were well correlated with each
other.

The available data for 2010 are consistent with the finding, based on
2007 - 2009 data, that the Cincinnati Area is attaining the 1997 annual
PM2.5 NAAQS.  On the basis of this review, EPA has concluded that this
area has met and continues to meet the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS. 

D.  CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDED AGENCY ACTION

	Quality assured, quality controlled, and certified ambient air
monitoring data for 2007-2009 shows that the design value for the
Cincinnati PM2.5 nonattainment Area is 15.0 µg/m3.  Because this value
is less than or equal the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS of 15 µg/m3, the area
has monitored attainment for this NAAQS.  I recommend the Cincinnati
Area be determined to have attaining data for the 1997 annual PM2.5
NAAQS.

 Design values are the metrics that are compared to the NAAQS levels to
determine attainment.  The annual design value is calculated as the
3-year average of annual means (referred to as the “annual standard
design value ”).  (See 40 CFR part 50 Appendix N.)

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