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EPA Streamlines Conformity Rule in Response to SAFETEA-LU

Release Date: 01/10/2008
Contact Information: Margot Perez-Sullivan, (202) 564-4355 / [email protected]

(1/10/08) State and local governments gain more flexibility to meet transportation conformity requirements, without reducing the program's important health and air quality benefits, under a new EPA final rule.

Mandated by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), enacted August 2005, the transportation conformity rule provides state and local governments:

-- more time to meet conformity requirements,
-- more flexibility before the consequences of not meeting conformity requirements apply, and
-- the option of shortening the timeframe of conformity determinations.

Also, this final rule streamlines conformity requirements for transportation projects in carbon monoxide nonattainment and maintenance areas.

Transportation conformity is a Clean Air Act requirement that ensures that federally supported highway and transit project activities are consistent with (conform to) the purpose of a state air quality implementation plan.

More on changes to the transportation conformity rule: epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/conf-regs.htm