Keeping Tomorrow’s Air Clean: Conforming Transportation Plans with Air Quality Attainment Efforts San Joaquin Valley Transportation Planning Agencies Kern Council Of Governments Kern COG Workshop April 15, 2004 Rob Ball – Senior Planner

Conforminty Presentation Outline Overview of the Federal Clean Air Act The Hammer: Conformity Lapse Conformity Determination: Modeling Future Travel and Emissions Control Measure Strategies 2004 Transportation Expenditure Plans (TIP/RTP) Conformity Timeline Conclusions/Solutions

Federal Regulations: 1977 Federal Clean Air Act, and 1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act

Conformity Transportation 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 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 (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 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-Attainment Area Classifications and Required Attainment Years CO Moderate – ’95 Serious – ‘00 O 3 Marginal – ’93 Moderate – ‘96 Serious – ‘99 Severe – ‘05 Extreme – ‘10 PM 10 Moderate – ‘94 Serious – ‘01 (5yr. Extension max.)

San Joaquin Stanislaus Merced Madera Fresno Tulare Kings Kern 8 – County San Joaquin Valley Air Basin

2 Air Districts – 3 Planning Areas

Current Air Basin Attainment Classifications in Kern San Joaquin Valley Air Basin Portion –1hr. Ozone (VOC & NO x ): Extreme 2010 –PM 10 (VOC & NO x precursors): Serious 2008 –CO: Attainment Maintenance 2008

Proposed Air Basin Classifications in Kern San Joaquin Valley Air Basin –Proposed 8hr. Ozone (VOC & NO x ): proposed Serious 2013? Non- attainment (could replace 1hr. standard) –Proposed PM 2.5 (VOC, Ammonia, precursors): Non-attainment - highest readings in the valley in Kern.

Air Basin Attainment Classifications in East Kern Mojave Desert Air Basin –1hr. Ozone (VOC & NO x ): Serious Non-attainment Attainment Maintenance demonstration being considered by US EPA Spring Monitoring data demonstrates attainment of standard for past 3yrs. –Proposed 8hr. Ozone: Serious 2013? Non-attainment –Proposed PM 2.5 : Non-attainment likely Indian Wells Valley Planning Area –PM 10 : attainment maintenance 2013? –Proposed PM 2.5 : Non-attainment likely –Ozone 1hr. Attainment and unclassified for 8hr.

The Clean Air Act Hammer: Conformity Lapse

Conformity Lapse = Bad No 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 Exemptions 1. Exempt Projects (non-capacity increasing) 2. TCMs in Approved SIPs 3. Non-Regionally Significant Non-federal Projects 4. Approved Regionally Significant Non-federal Projects 5. Previously Conformed Projects, which have received funding commitments for construction, Plans, Specifications & Estimates (PS&E) approval, Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGA) or equivalent approvals. 6. Traffic Synchronization Projects

Conformity Lapses Frequent and Usually Short As of 2002, areas in 29 states have experienced a lapse of conformity at some time since Five areas, including Atlanta, Georgia.

Regionally Significant Projects Capacity Increasing Project greater than 1-mile in length All Regional Significant Projects must be conformed to the SIP

TIP/RTP Conformity Analysis 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 (TIP)

Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)

20-Year Population and Vehicle Miles Traveled Historical Growth for the San Joaquin Valley Portion of Kern County

Determining Conformity: Modeling Future Travel and Emissions

Socio- Economic Data Forecast General Plan Population Households Employment Enrollment Income

Regional Transportation Model

Preliminary Conformity Results Kern – San Joaquin Valley Portion –PM 10 – ton under 10.6 ton budget –Ozone – 2005 NOx 1 ton under 37.6 ton budget –CO – tons under 162 ton budget E. Kern - IWV-Ridgecrest –PM 10 – tons under 1.7 ton budget E. Kern – Tehachapi - Mojave Desert –Ozone – 2005 NOx.5 ton under 7.1 ton budget

Control Measure Strategies

Sample Control Measures Cost/Benefit PM 10 –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 –PM 10 Efficient Street Sweepers.01 tons per year or $2,500 per ton

Sample Control Measures Cost/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 tons per day or $140 million (14,000 vehicles) per ton

2004 TIP/RTP Conformity Timeline 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 Council Of Governments

Conclusions/Solutions/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