Keeping Tomorrow’s Air Keeping Tomorrow’s Air Clean:Clean: Conforming Conforming Transportation Plans with Air Transportation Plans with Air Quality Attainment EffortsQuality Attainment Efforts
San Joaquin Valley
Transportation
Planning AgenciesKern CouncilOf Governments
Kern COG WorkshopApril 15, 2004Rob Ball – Senior Planner
Conforminty Presentation Conforminty Presentation OutlineOutlineOverview of the Federal Clean Air ActThe Hammer: Conformity LapseConformity Determination: Modeling
Future Travel and EmissionsControl Measure Strategies2004 Transportation Expenditure
Plans (TIP/RTP) Conformity TimelineConclusions/Solutions
Federal Regulations:Federal Regulations:1977 Federal Clean Air 1977 Federal Clean Air Act,Act,and 1990 Amendments to and 1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Actthe Clean Air Act
ConformityConformityTransportation Conformity is the
process mandated by the Clean Air Act to ensure that Federal Highway Expenditures will not negatively effect attainment of Air Quality Standards in areas that do not meet the Federal Standards.
Categories of EmissionsCategories of Emissions Natural or Biogenic Sources – plants, etc. Stationary Sources – power plants, refineries,
factories, pumps, etc. Area Sources – small stationary sources, dry
cleaners, bakeries, etc. Mobile Sources*
• On-road – cars, trucks, busses*• Off-road – trains, planes, lawnmowers, construction
equipment
*Conformity deals w/ On-road Mobile
State Implementation Plan State Implementation Plan (SIP)(SIP) Mandated by the Clean Air Act Prepared by the Air District and California
Air Resources Board Contains procedures to monitor, control,
maintain and enforce compliance with national air quality standard
Sets Emissions Budget and deadlines required to attain Standards
National Ambient Air Quality National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS)Standard (NAAQS) Sets Healthy Air Standards Attainment Designations
– Attainment • Areas that have always been in compliance of the
NAAQS
– Attainment Maintenance • Areas that were formerly non-attainment of NAAQS.
– Attainment Unclassified • Insufficient data.
Non-Attainment Classifications
Non-AttainmentNon-Attainment Area Classifications Area Classificationsand Required Attainment Yearsand Required Attainment Years
COModerate – ’95Serious – ‘00
O3
Marginal – ’93Moderate – ‘96 Serious – ‘99Severe – ‘05Extreme – ‘10
PM10
Moderate – ‘94Serious – ‘01 (5yr. Extension max.)
San JoaquinSan Joaquin
StanislausStanislaus
MercedMerced MaderaMadera
FresnoFresno
TulareTulareKingsKings
KernKern
8 – County 8 – County San San Joaquin Joaquin Valley Air Valley Air BasinBasin
2 Air Districts – 3 Planning 2 Air Districts – 3 Planning AreasAreas
Current Air Basin Current Air Basin Attainment Classifications Attainment Classifications in Kernin KernSan Joaquin Valley Air Basin Portion
– 1hr. Ozone (VOC & NOx): Extreme 2010
– PM10 (VOC & NOx precursors): Serious 2008
– CO: Attainment Maintenance 2008
Proposed Air Basin Proposed Air Basin Classifications in KernClassifications in KernSan Joaquin Valley Air Basin
– Proposed 8hr. Ozone (VOC & NOx): proposed Serious 2013? Non-attainment (could replace 1hr. standard)
– Proposed PM2.5 (VOC, Ammonia, precursors): Non-attainment - highest readings in the valley in Kern.
Air Basin Attainment Air Basin Attainment Classifications in East KernClassifications in East Kern Mojave Desert Air Basin
– 1hr. Ozone (VOC & NOx): Serious Non-attainment
• Attainment Maintenance demonstration being considered by US EPA Spring 2004. Monitoring data demonstrates attainment of standard for past 3yrs.
– Proposed 8hr. Ozone: Serious 2013? Non-attainment
– Proposed PM2.5: Non-attainment likely
Indian Wells Valley Planning Area – PM10: attainment maintenance 2013?
– Proposed PM2.5: Non-attainment likely
– Ozone 1hr. Attainment and unclassified for 8hr.
The Clean Air Act Hammer: The Clean Air Act Hammer: Conformity LapseConformity Lapse
Conformity Lapse = BadConformity Lapse = BadNo federally funded or non-federally
funded or regionally significant project can proceed regardless of how far along it may be in the project development process.
Grandfathering of projects is not allowed.
Only TCMs in the SIP and exempt projects (i.e., safety) will advance.
Conformity Lapse Funding Conformity Lapse Funding ExemptionsExemptions1. Exempt Projects (non-capacity increasing)2. TCMs in Approved SIPs3. Non-Regionally Significant Non-federal Projects4. Approved Regionally Significant Non-federal
Projects5. Previously Conformed Projects, which have
received funding commitments forconstruction, Plans, Specifications & Estimates
(PS&E) approval, Full Funding GrantAgreements (FFGA) or equivalent approvals.6. Traffic Synchronization Projects
Conformity Lapses FrequentConformity Lapses Frequentand Usually Shortand Usually Short
As of 2002, areas in 29 states have experienced a lapse of conformity at some time since 1993. Five areas, including Atlanta, Georgia.
Regionally Significant Regionally Significant ProjectsProjectsCapacity Increasing Project greater
than 1-mile in lengthAll Regional Significant Projects
must be conformed to the SIP
TIP/RTP ConformityTIP/RTP ConformityAnalysis of the Air Quality Impacts of
our short-range (TIP) and long-range (RTP) transportation projects to show that our plans do not setback SIP clean air efforts.
Transportation Improvement Program Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)(TIP)
Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)
20-Year Population and Vehicle Miles Traveled Historical Growth for the San Joaquin Valley Portion of Kern County
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Determining Conformity:Determining Conformity:Modeling Future Travel Modeling Future Travel and Emissionsand Emissions
Socio-Socio-Economic Economic Data Data ForecastForecast
PA NAMA LN
MING AVE
HARRIS RD
DISTRICT BLVD
PACHECO RD
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• General Plan• Population• Households• Employment• Enrollment• Income
Regional Transportation Regional Transportation ModelModel
Preliminary Conformity Preliminary Conformity ResultsResultsKern – San Joaquin Valley Portion
– PM10 – 2005 .5 ton under 10.6 ton budget
– Ozone – 2005 NOx 1 ton under 37.6 ton budget– CO – 2005 10 tons under 162 ton budget
E. Kern - IWV-Ridgecrest– PM10 – 2030 .3 tons under 1.7 ton budget
E. Kern – Tehachapi - Mojave Desert– Ozone – 2005 NOx .5 ton under 7.1 ton budget
Control Measure Control Measure StrategiesStrategies
Sample Control Measures Sample Control Measures Cost/BenefitCost/BenefitPM10
– Paving 3 miles of shoulder w/ 24,000 trips/day
• .45 tons per day or $1,376 per ton
– Paving 1 mile of Alley w/ 74 trips/day• .09 tons per year or $527 per ton
– PM10 Efficient Street Sweepers• .01 tons per year or $2,500 per ton
Sample Control Measures Sample Control Measures Cost/BenefitCost/Benefit Ozone
– Replace one Diesel Vehicle that travels 1000,000 miles annual in the region
• .0016 tons per day or $9.6 million (320 vehicles) per ton
– Replace one Passenger Vehicle that travels 15,000 miles annually in the region
• .000048 tons per day or $140 million (14,000 vehicles) per ton
2004 TIP/RTP2004 TIP/RTPConformity Conformity TimelineTimeline Draft Complete - May 17 Public Review Period begins – May 21 Public Workshops – May to June Public Review Period ends – July 6 COG Board – July 15 Due to Federal Highways – August 1
Kern CouncilOf Governments
Conclusions/Solutions/Conclusions/Solutions/Questions?Questions? Plans are Conforming… for now. Every effort needs to be made to achieve
the future reductions in Ozone. Transportation efforts should focus on:
– More Street Sweeping – even on low volume roads
– Controling runoff/track-out onto streets– Paving/controling dust from high volume
roads w/ dirt shoulders– Paving high volume dirt public roads/alleys