Air Quality

Background

In 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was formed along with the Clean Air Act of 1970. The formation of EPA marked a dramatic change in national policy regarding the control of air pollution. Whereas previous federal involvement had been mostly in an advisory and educational role, the new EPA emphasized stringent enforcement of air pollution laws. The passage of the Clean Air Act of 1970 marked the beginning of modern efforts to control air pollution.

The highlight of the 1970 amendments was the establishment of an air quality management approach based on the adoption on National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). These standards limit the concentrations of pollutants that "endanger the public health or welfare." Initially, NAAQS were established for six pollutants, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and lead.

Attainment Status

Currently, Washington County, Maryland and Berkeley and Jefferson Counties in West Virginia are in a deferred non-attainment status for the critical pollutant ozone. All three counties were determined to be marginal non-attainment but were given a deferred status when each County entered into an Early Action Compact (EAC) with the US EPA. These agreements outline strategies that the Counties will accomplish in an attempt to reduce emissions and gain attainment by December 2007.

In addition, Washington and Berkeley Counties have been defined as a marginal non-attainment status for the critical pollutant fine particulate matter (PM 2.5). This designation requires the two counties to perform a conformity analysis for transportation projects in the region that are deemed regionally significant.  For a copy of the HEPMPO Air Quality Conformity Analysis for PM 2.5, click here.

Franklin County, Pennsylvania has been designated as in attainment for all critical pollutants.

Transportation Conformity

The concept of transportation conformity was introduced in the Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1977. These requirements became substantially more rigorous in the CAA Amendments of 1990. Under the Federal Clean Air Act, if a state or area fails to meet any of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), the state must develop a State Implementation Plan (SIP). Areas that are designated non-attainment or previously designated non-attainment for any NAAQS must show (through a process known as transportation conformity) that their transportation activities will not conflict with State air quality goals for that area.

Eventually, as part of each State’s SIP, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection will set Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets (MVEBs) for the designated non-attainment pollutants and their precursors for their respective States. The HEPMPO’s Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) will be evaluated in the context of these emissions budgets, and must be determined in conformance under the air quality standards. States do not have to submit SIPs with MVEBs immediately after non-attainment designations so in the interim, conformance for HEPMPO's LRTP and TIP to air quality standards is being shown by a comparison of future year emissions to a 2002 baseline of emissions.