Transportation Conformity Highlights

November 2004

FHWA Outreach Materials on Website. FHWA has posted the outreach materials on its website which were used for four workshops and a net conference held over the past several months. The workshops and net conference were held to discuss the implications of the July 1, 2004 Transportation Conformity Rule Amendments. In addition, the workshops discussed the implications of the new air quality standards on the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. The amendments address the conformity requirements under the new 8-hour and PM2.5 air quality standards, as well as implementation of the March 1999 court decision, and other provisions. To view the materials see: /environment/air_quality/conformity/training/outreach/.

Connecticut Emerges from a Brief Conformity Lapse. On October 13, the EPA sent FHWA and FTA a letter supporting the conformity determination of the Transportation Improvement Programs in the Connecticut Portion of the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island one-hour ozone nonattainment area, the Greater Connecticut one-hour ozone nonattainment area, the Connecticut Portion of the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island carbon monoxide maintenance area, the New Haven-Meriden-Waterbury carbon monoxide maintenance area, the Hartford-New Britain-Middletown carbon monoxide maintenance area and the New Haven PM10 nonattainment area. The EPA had held their opinion on this determination due to Governor Rell announcing the delay in restarting the vehicle emissions testing program. This testing program had been suspended since April 2004. On October 8th, the Governor announced the State would be restarting the vehicle emissions testing program and the restart would include an accelerated testing schedule of vehicles not tested during the suspension.

Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Between Texas Council on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). On October 29, the EPA published a direct final rule approving a SIP revision concerning the Dallas/Fort Worth ozone nonattainment area. Specifically, EPA approved a SIP revision that incorporates a MOA between the TCEQ and NCTCOG. The MOA commits the NCTCOG to provide the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport with emissions offsets of 0.18 tons per day (tpd) of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 0.04 tpd of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 2007and to adjust the modeled 2015 on-road emission estimates to reflect an increase of 1.17 tpd of NOx and 0.26 tpd of VOCs, which must be accommodated in future transportation conformity determinations. This action will enable the FAA to make a general conformity determination for certain projects, which are part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Master Plan, including the construction of a new terminal (Terminal F). For further information see: http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-AIR/2004/October/Day-29/a24127.htm.

NTI Course: Introduction to Transportation Conformity. Courses will be offered in Memphis, TN on December 14-16; and Houston, TX on March 21-23, 2005. Additional courses are to be scheduled in January and/or February. For information and to register go to: http://www.ntionline.com/CourseInfo.asp?CourseNumber=FP213.

If you have any suggestions for future monthly conformity highlights, please email: ssiwek@aol.com.

FHWA Resource Center Air Quality Team Contacts:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/teams/airquality/index.cfm.