Air Quality and Conformity Issues

1
Air Quality and Conformity Issues

• James M. Shrouds, Director
• Office of Natural and Human Environment
• Federal Highway Administration
• AASHTO SCOE Meeting
• June 9-11, 2004

2
Objectives

• Discuss Air Quality Provisions Being Considered
  in Reauthorization
• Discuss Implementation of New Air Quality
  Standards
• Discuss On-Road Mobile Source Emission Reduction
  Progress

3
Planning / Conformity Requirements

• SAFETEA
• Combines Metropolitan Transportation Plan/TIP
• Requires only one conformity determination
• S.1072
• Retains Separate Metropolitan Transportation
  Plan/TIP
• H.R.3550
• Retains Separate Metropolitan Transportation
  Plan/TIP

4
Planning / Conformity Requirements

• SAFETEA
• Horizon of transportation plans for conformity
  purposes revised to be the longer of the
  following
• 1) Latest year in air quality plan containing
  motor vehicle emissions budgets, or
• 2) 10 years, or
• 3) Completion date of a regionally significant
  project that requires approval before the
  subsequent conformity determination
• Regional emissions analysis from end of
  conformity period to last year of transportation
  plan - for information purposes

5
Planning / Conformity Requirements

• S.1072
• Same as SAFETEA, except it does not include
  informational regional emissions analysis
• H.R.3550
• Similar to SAFETEA, but would require State Air
  Agency to agree, otherwise conformity horizon
  would be the last year of the transportation
  plan.

6
Planning / Conformity Requirements

• SAFETEA
• Required frequency for determining conformity of
  transportation plans changed from 3 to 5 years,
  except
• When MPO chooses to update plan more frequently
• When SIP actions trigger new conformity
  determination
• S.1072
• Basically, same as SAFETEA, except it changes
  frequency for determining conformity from 3 to 4
  years
• H.R.3550
• Basically, same as SAFETEA, except it changes
  frequency for determining conformity from 3 to 4
  years

7
Conformity Provisions not included in SAFETEA

• S.1072 and H.R.3550
• New conformity determinations within 2 years of
  new motor vehicle emissions budget, instead of
  regulatory 18 months
• Limits conformity to end of maintenance period
  (H.R.3550 would only provide this flexibility if
  State air agency agreed)
• TCM Substitution

8
Conformity Provisions not included in SAFETEA

• S.1072 only
• Requires conformity rule to address planning
  assumptions, including induced travel demand
  information in the development and application of
  the latest travel and emissions models

9
Conformity Provisions not included in SAFETEA

• H.R.3550 only
• Allows areas 12 months to correct a conformity
  problem before they fall into a conformity lapse

10
CMAQ Changes

• SAFETEA and S.1072
• Adds weightings for 8-hr ozone and PM2.5
• Increases the weighting for all maintenance areas
• Increases the additional weighting for CO
  maintenance areas also designated for Ozone
• Creates a new CMAQ Evaluation Program

11
Other Air Quality Related Provisions

• SAFETEA, S.1072 and H.R.3550
• Adds an exemption for Low emission/
  Energy-efficient vehicles on HOV lanes
• SAFETEA and S.1072
• Allows idle reduction measures within Interstate
  ROWs
• S.1072
• Makes alternative fuels eligible for CMAQ

12
New Air Quality Standards

• 8-hour Ozone Standard (Consent Decree)
• EPA Final Designations April 15, 2004
• Effective Date June 15, 2004
• PM-2.5 Standard
• State Recommendations February 15, 2004
• EPA Preliminary Designations July 2004
• EPA Designations by December 15, 2004
• Conformity Applies 1-Year After Effective Date of
  Designation

13
Ozone Nonattainment
14
Ozone Nonattainment (cont.)

• 1-Hour and 8-Hour Areas Do Not Correspond Exactly
• Many 1-hour areas are not 8-hour areas and vice
  versa
• Many 1-Hour and 8-Hour Areas have different
  boundaries and/or overlap each other

15
EPAs 8-Hour Ozone Implementation Plan

• Final Rule April 15, 2004
• Conformity will not apply in 1-hour nonattainment
  and maintenance areas 1-year from effective date
  of 8-hour designations, when the 1-hour standard
  is revoked.
• Conformity for 1-hour standard would end when
  conformity for 8-hour standard begins.

16
Conformity Rule Amendments

• Final rule expected in June
• Will not finalize PM2.5 precursor or hot-spot
  sections, to be finalized later.
• New conformity determinations for 8-hour standard
  needed by June 15, 2005.

17
New Areas Included in CMAQ Apportionments

• FY 2005 Total of 428 8-hr counties
  (117 new ozone counties)
• FY 2006 Adds between 150 350 PM2.5 counties
• Failure to pass reauthorization bill would
• Leave new counties out of the apportionments
• Not affect CMAQ project eligibility
• PM2.5 Counties State recommendations come to a
  total of about 150 counties. Based on 2000-2002
  monitoring data and including all the counties
  within the C/MSA, estimates come to about 350
  counties.

18
AIR QUALITY HAS IMPROVED!

• Emissions and concentrations have decreased
  across the board.
• On-road sources have accounted for most of the
  emissions reductions. From 80-01, on-road
  reductions of VOC and NOx were 68 and 69 of
  total reductions, respectively.
• Significant emissions reductions are expected in
  the future. By 2030, VOCs and NOx will be
  reduced 57 and 83, respectively.

19
(No Transcript)
20
Percent Decrease in Concentration of Criteria
Pollutants
21
Source Statement of Senator Bob Smith,
Environment Public Works Committee Hearing on
Transportation Air Quality, July 30, 2002
22
What Should Transportation Officials Be Doing Now?

• Establish/revise interagency consultation
  processes
• Start defining transportation networks in new
  areas
• Monitor progress in EACs
• Encourage State air quality agencies to submit
  SIPs/budgets ASAP
• Review/comment on SNPRM for PM-2.5
• Work with air quality agencies on PM-2.5
  designations