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Mass transit projects proposed for federal funding must meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act in addition to NEPA. The Clean Air Act contains detailed transportation “conformity” requirements the purpose of which is to ensure that federally-funded highway and transit projects conform to the applicable State (air quality) Implementation Plan (SIP). The SIP documents the measures that will be taken in a specific nonattainment area in order to attain the national air quality standards. The conformity requirements apply only in nonattainment and maintenance areas.
The conformity process is governed by a regulation issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (40 CFR Part 93). EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality has also issued numerous guidance documents and materials related to the conformity process which can be found in the Conformity section of the following website: Environmental Protection Agency - Transportation Conformity.
A different office in EPA has responsibility for setting and revising national air quality standards and for designating areas that fail to meet those standards---the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. Information on the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, including the status of the revised ozone and particulate matter standards, can be found at: Environmental Protection Agency - Air Quality Planning and Standards.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) also has information on the conformity process on its Web site: www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/conform.htm. One publication from the FHWA Web site gives a brief overview of the conformity requirements for people outside the field of transportation planning (Transportation Conformity: A Basic Guide for State and Local Officials). Another publication from this Web site—the Transportation Conformity Reference Guide—is a comprehensive, in-depth explanation of all the major elements of the process.
In addition to conformity, the FHWA website, www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/cmaq.htm, also has a section on the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program. Many transit agencies have a special interest in the CMAQ program because over the years the program has been an important source of funding for transit projects in nonattainment and maintenance areas, supplementing FTA’s traditional funding programs. The current CMAQ program guidance can be found at this Web site along with related materials, such as tables showing annual CMAQ apportionments to the states and reports summarizing projects and activities funded with CMAQ funds in prior years.
GUIDANCE
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