Transportation Conformity and Development of Emission Budgets

1. Transportation Conformity and Development of Emission Budgets

2. What are our objectives? • We will cover the following topics: • CAA Transportation Conformity Regulations • Development of Emission Budgets

3. What Is Conformity? • Established by the Clean Air Act • Requires governments to evaluate emissions from planned federal or federally funded projects BEFORE they are built • Applies in ozone, CO, PM-10 and NO2 areas designated as nonattainment or maintenance

4. Conformity: Transportation vs. General • Transportation conformity applies to federal highway and transit actions • General conformity applies to all other federal actions (e.g. airports and railroads)

5. Off-Road Mobile Sources Area Sources Stationary Sources Transportation/ On-Road Mobile Sources Transportation Conformity: What pollution does it address? • Transportation conformity addresses air pollution from on-road mobile sources. • On-road mobile sources are emissions created by cars, trucks, and transit. Transportation Conformity…covers just one piece of the pie...

6. What Transportation Actions are Subject to Conformity? • Transportation plans (20-year timeframe) • Transportation improvement programs (TIP) (3-year timeframe) • “Federal” projects • projects receiving federal funding • projects receiving FHWA/FTA approval • Regionally significant State projects are partially affected

7. Transportation Plan and State Implementation Plan (SIP) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Transportation Conformity: A Link Between Air Quality and Transportation Planning Conformity

8. SIP Elements • Inventory of emissions estimates for each sector (stationary, area, mobile) • Air quality modeling • Demonstration of SIP’s purpose • Specific list of controls • Contingency measures (maintenance areas)

9. SIP MV Budgets • SIPs contain motor vehicle emissions budgets (“budgets”) • SIP budgets based on area’s motor vehicle inventoryand control measures • Budgets important for conformity because used in regional emissions analysis • Budget test: emissions from planned transportation system < budget • budget = ceiling on emissions of that pollutant / precursor

10. Adequacy Review of Budgets • SIP budgets must be adequate before used for conformity • Conformity rule (93.118(e)(4)) describes adequacy criteria • these criteria are similar to those for SIP approval • Positive adequacy finding does not guarantee approvability of SIP

11. Governor Endorsement Public Hearing Interagency consultation and full documentation EPA concerns addressed Control measures achieve air quality goals (RFP, attainment, maintenance) Adequacy Criteria

12. Adequacy Criteria • Emissions budget(s) clearly identified and precisely quantified in the SIP • Budget is consistent with emissions inventory/control measures • Revisions to previously submitted SIPs are explained • EPA will review public comment from state’s public hearing

13. Approximately 90 day process State submits SIP to EPA EPA announces receipt of SIP on website, 30-day public comment period started EPA makes adequacy/inadequacy finding Respond to any comments Send letter to state Post finding on web Issue a Federal Register notice (FRN) Finding effective 15 Days after FRN in most cases Adequacy Process