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. EPA’s 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.

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