Air Quality Contacts
For more information, please contact Victoria Martinez (787-771-2524).
Prepared by the Office of Natural Environment Federal Highway Administration - Publication Number FHWA-HEP-14-048
USEPA Releases New MOVES Emissions Model. On July 31, 2014 EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality announced the web posting of the Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator, MOVES2014. This upgrade to EPA's modeling tools replaces the MOVES2010 series of models as EPA's official model for estimating air pollution emissions from cars, trucks, motorcycles, and buses. MOVES2014 also incorporates the existing NONROAD2008 model and is the first step toward integration of on-road and non-road emission estimation capabilities in a single model. MOVES2014 includes the effects of new regulations including Tier 3 vehicle and fuel standards, significant new data from a wide range of sources, and new features that improve the user interface and add flexibility to input options. Contact the MOVES Team at mobile@epa.gov if you have any questions.
FHWA Proposes Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) PM2.5 Weighting Factor. August 4, 2014, the CMAQ PM2.5 weighting factor NPRM was published in the Federal Register and started a 60-day comment period. The NPRM proposes a weighting factor to be used in calculating the PM2.5 set-aside for the CMAQ program as required in MAP-21. The NPRM comment period ends on October 3, 2014. Contact Cecilia Ho at 202-366-9862 or cecilia.ho@dot.gov for more information.
Revised Interim Guidance on CMAQ Program Operating Assistance Under MAP-21. The 2014 Appropriations Act included changes to the Operation Assistance Section of the CMAQ program (23 USC 149(m)). FHWA posted new CMAQ Interim Guidance on Operating Assistance to implement the MAP-21 changes. Projects for which CMAQ funding was made available, obligated, or expended in FY 2012 could be eligible for operating assistance without a time limitation based on this change. Contact Cecilia Ho at 202-366-9862 or cecilia.ho@dot.gov if you have any questions.
FHWA Announces the 2015 Environmental Excellence Awards (EEA) Program. The biennial EEA Program recognizes outstanding transportation projects, processes, and partners that use FHWA funding sources to go beyond "business as usual" to achieve environmental excellence. The 2015 EEA Program includes a strong focus on both the natural and human environment, and features a range of categories under the topic areas of Natural Environment, Human Environment, and Organization and Process Innovation, with the goal of recognizing best practices occurring across the Nation. To submit your nomination and to learn more about the EEA Program please visit: http://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/eeawards/. Contact Bill Ostrum at (202) 366-4651 or william.f.ostrum@dot.gov or, Connie Hill at (804) 775-3378 or connie.hill@dot.gov or Brenda Kragh at (202) 366-2064 or brenda.kragh@dot.gov if you have any questions.
End of Maintenance Period and Conformity.In a letter to the Eugene-Springfield Transportation Conformity Interagency Consultation Group, EPA Region 10 Office confirmed that transportation conformity no longer applies 20 years after the effective date of the area being redesignated maintenance for a national ambient air quality standard and EPA approval of the first 10-year maintenance plan (CAA § 175(a)), and the approved maintenance plan did not extend the maintenance period beyond 20 years from designation. In other words, conformity requirements no longer apply to metropolitan transportation plans, TIPs, and FHWA/FTA projects after that date for that particular NAAQS. However, conformity requirements will continue to apply for other transportation-related pollutants for which the area is nonattainment or maintenance. For questions related to the applicability of conformity at the end of the 20-year maintenance period, please contact Karen Perritt at Karen.perritt@dot.gov or 202-366-9066, or Cecilia Ho at Cecilia.ho@dot.gov or 202-366-9862.
The AASHTO Center for Environmental Excellence Air Quality Peer Exchange. On May 6-7, 2014, representatives from approximately twenty-five State DOTs and three MPOs, as well as FHWA staff came to Washington D.C. to exchange ideas, best practices, and lessons learned related to air quality issues facing State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs). Topics included: PM hot spot modeling, the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program, Mobile Air Source Toxics, GHG emissions analysis, and emission reduction strategies. Peer Exchange Materials including presentations and a white paper are now available on the Center's website. Contact Mark Ferroni at 202-366-3233 or mark.ferroni@dot.gov for more information.
Atlanta Regional Commission CMAQ Calculator. In an effort to help standardize best practice in evaluating CMAQ projects, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) contracted work to develop a modular CMAQ emissions calculator. The tool highlights changes in NOx, VOC, PM2.5, and CO2 emissions and, where applicable, vehicle hours of delay and vehicle miles travelled. The tool calculates benefits for 16 types of strategies including, but not limited to: transit enhancements, system operations strategies, alternative fuels, demand management strategies, and bicycle and pedestrian investments. The calculator can be customized and adopted for other regions throughout the country. For more information, and to download a copy of the ARC CMAQ Calculator, go here: www.atlantaregional.com/cmaqcalculator. Contact David D'Onofrio at ARC if you have any questions.
USDOT Proposed New Surface Transportation Bill. As proposed the GROW AMERICA Act will invest $199.2 billion over four years to provide the certainty necessary for states and local communities to make transportation investments necessary to improve our highway infrastructure and support our economic growth. Additionally the GROW AMERICA Act will strengthen transportation investment decision-making, accelerate project delivery, and expands and makes innovative finance options more accessible. Visit DOT's Grow America Act website for more information, including a copy of the full text or fact sheets of the GROW AMERICA Act.
FHWA Posted New Report. The FHWA and EPA National Near-Road Study, Detroit, MI provides a summary of a monitoring study conducted in Detroit in 2010 - 2011. The objective of this study was to determine Mobile Source Air Toxic (MSAT) concentrations and variations in concentrations as a function of distance from the highway and to establish relationships between MSAT concentrations as related to highway traffic, meteorological conditions; and other pollutants primarily emitted from motor vehicles. Contact Victoria Martinez at 787-771-2524 or victoria.martinez@dot.gov.
FHWA Updated Conformity Practices in Multi-Jurisdictional Areas. The FHWA recently completed an update of conformity practices in specific multi-jurisdictional nonattainment and maintenance areas known as "complex areas." The purpose of this study was to update the FHWA Transportation Conformity Webpage, with information describing how MPOs accommodate the transportation conformity requirements in different types of complex nonattainment and maintenance areas. Specifically, the research was designed to document advances in the conformity process and regional emissions analyses being conducted in these complex areas, and to share this information with MPOs, DOTs and other stakeholders. Contact Mark Glaze 202-366-4053 or mark.glaze@dot.gov.
FHWA Established Health in Transportation Webpage. This webpage is designed to be a comprehensive resource on the linkages between transportation and health. Linking health and transportation brings together transportation professionals and health practitioners in a collaborative process to improve transportation decisions. The latest report to be posted, "Statewide Transportation Planning for Health Communities" presents insights and a flexible model for State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) that choose to integrate public health considerations into their transportation planning and decision-making. Contact Fred Bowers at 202-366-2374 or frederick.bowers@dot.gov.
Areas with Insignificant Findings or Limited Maintenance Plans. While these areas are not required to satisfy the regional emissions analysis requirements in 40 CFR 93.118 and/or 93.119, a conformity determination for the plan, TIP, and project that meets the other requirements (such as interagency consultation, timely implementation of TCMs, etc.) of the transportation conformity rule is still required. Also, a hot-spot analysis is still required in CO areas and for projects of air quality concern in PM10 and PM2.5 areas. Contact the Emily Biondi at 202-366-9482 or emily.biondi@dot.gov with any questions.
MAP-21 Highlights on Agency Websites. Presentations, questions & answers, and other vital information surrounding the legislation remain on FHWA's web pages. The CMAQ Program Interim Guidance, webinar presentation slides and the Q&A's can be found on the MAP-21 website. Basic fiscal information is housed on the MAP-21 site as well, although the supplementary tables with more detailed breakdowns on the individual Federal-aid programs are found on the agency's Laws and Regulations page.
Air Quality Planning Web Course Available. The Air Quality Planning web-based training series is designed for transportation practitioners. It includes four modules: Clean Air Act Overview (FHWA-NHI-142068), State Implementation Plan (SIP) and Transportation Control Measure (TCM) Requirements and Policies (FHWA-NHI-142069), SIP Development Process (FHWA-NHI-142070) and Transportation Conformity (FHWA-NHI-142071). All courses are free. For more information, visit www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov, search Air Quality Planning or look for the specific course number. Please contact Karen Perritt at (202) 366-9066, or karen.perritt@dot.gov with any questions or comments.
Conformity 101 Training Available On-Line. FHWA made a short course entitled "What is Conformity?" available on-line. This course is intended for transportation and air quality practitioners who are new to transportation conformity, those looking for a refresher, or others who only need a brief overview of the rule. The session is approximately 27 minutes long. Handouts are available for download at the same site. This course can be accessed on FHWA's Website.
MySQL Training for MOVES Model Users. Two training opportunities are available for MOVES model users. A three-hour webinar provides an introduction to MySQL Query Browser and MOVES interface. A six-hour training over two days will enable users to do MySQL programming and to write his/her own MySQL scripts and to manipulate MySQL databases including MOVES input and outputs. For more information or to schedule training, contact John Byun (joon.byun@dot.gov) or Paul Heishman (paul.heishman@dot.gov).
FHWA Resource Center Training Activities. FHWA's Resource Center Air Quality Technical Services Team is available to offer MOVES training, and information is available at the Resource Center website.
MOVES2014 Training. EPA is developing a new 2-day hands-on training course for MOVES2014. Training materials of MOVES2010b are still a useful resource for those who want to be familiar with the MOVES model. For More information visit EPA's MOVES training site.
FHWA HQ Air Quality and Transportation Conformity Team:
FHWA Resource Center Air Quality Team:.
Past issues are available at FHWA's website. If you have any suggestions for future monthly conformity highlights, please email: Victoria.Martinez@dot.gov.
