NEPA

1
NEPA Project Level Conformity

• Gary Jensen
• Environmental Protection Specialist
• Office of Natural and Human Environment

2
Existing Guidance

• Project-level Conformity
• Transportation Conformity Rule
• Transportation Conformity Reference Guide
• Other Conformity Guidance
• NEPA
• 1987 Technical Advisory
• 1986 Discussion Paper

3
Project-Level Conformity Requirements

• From Conforming Plan/TIP in Metro Areas
• Regional Emissions Analysis in Rural Areas
• CO Hot-Spot Analysis
• Quantitative in certain cases, or qualitative
• PM-10 Hot-Spot Analysis
• Currently qualitative only
• PM-10 Control Measures

4
New Standards

• 8-Hour Conformity Required June 15, 2005
• Prior to final environmental document, project
  must be part of conforming plan/TIP
• If past environment stage, project-level
  conformity required prior to project approval
  after June 15, 2005
• In isolated rural areas, regional emissions
  analysis must be completed
• PM-2.5 Conformity Required Early 2006

5
PM-2.5 and PM-10 Hot-Spots

• June 2004 Final Rule does not address
• EPA developing supplemental proposal this summer
• How should the PM-2.5 hot-spot issue be addressed
• Should changes be made to PM-10 hot-spot
  requirements
• Final rule prior to PM-2.5 designations

6
What Is Being Done To Address Ozone In NEPA
Documents?

• Nonattainment and Maintenance Areas
• Transportation Conformity
• Attainment Areas
• Is any one performing corridor-level/macro-level
  analyses in NEPA?

7
What Is Being Done To Address CO In NEPA
Documents?

• Nonattainment and Maintenance Areas
• Transportation Conformity
• Regional Emissions
• Hot-Spot Analysis
• Attainment Areas

8
CO Hot-Spot Analysis

• Transportation Conformity Rule Quantitative
  Analysis Thresholds
• Alternative Procedures/Thresholds
• Attainment Area Protocols

9
Does Anyone See Any CO Violations?Mitigation?
10
What Is Being Done To Address PM-10 In NEPA
Documents?

• Nonattainment and Maintenance Areas
• Transportation Conformity
• Regional Emissions
• Hot-Spot Analysis
• PM-10 Control Measures
• Attainment Areas

11
PM-10 Hot-Spot Analysis

• FHWA Qualitative Analysis Guidance
• Other Methods?

12
PM-10 Control Measures

• How are these being addressed in NEPA documents?
• What sort of measures do you see?

13
Does Anyone See Any PM-10 Violations?Mitigation?
14
Next Steps

• Transportation Conformity Rule Amendments
• Update of the Transportation Conformity Reference
  Guide
• NEPA Air Quality Guidance to Replace Technical
  Advisory and Out-Dated Guidance

15
NEPA Air Quality Issues

• Criteria Pollutants and Conformity
• 1-Hour Ozone, 8-Hour Ozone, CO, PM-10, PM-2.5,
  and Nitrogen Dioxide
• Mobile Source Air Toxics
• Green House Gases
• Regional Haze and Visibility
• Construction Emissions