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

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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