MEMORANDUM

Date:	June 1, 2007

Subject:  	Summary of meeting with National Association of Home Builders
and other organizations on the SAFETEA-LU transportation conformity NPRM


From: 		Rudolph Kapichak

State Measures and Conformity Group, OTAQ

		

To:		Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2006-0612

	On May 25, 2007, I spoke with representatives of the National
Association of Home Builders (NAHB), National Sand, Stone and Gravel
Association (NSSGA), and the American Road and Transportation Builders
Association (ARTBA) regarding proposed revisions to the transportation
conformity regulations to implement SAFETEA-LU.  Those on the call
included:

	Matthew Watkins, NAHB

	Michael Mittelholzer, NAHB

	Amy Chai, NAHB

	Nick Goldstein, ARTBA

	Pam Whitted, NSSGA

	Jed Andersen, Attorney.

Those on the call asked for the following information regarding the
proposed rule:

(1)  a brief overview of what actions would trigger the need for a
transportation conformity determination and  whether the Clean Air Act
amendments  in SAFETEA-LU had changed those triggers.  

(2)  how the lapse grace period and the proposed revision to 40 CFR
93.120(a)(2) would work for  projects that can be found to conform in an
area with a disapproved state implementation plan if the area does not
receive a protective finding as part of the disapproval.  

(3)  whether an area could shorten the timeframe addressed in its
conformity determination if the area was seeing an upturn in motor
vehicle emissions in the last years covered by its transportation plan. 


Additionally, they asked EPA to explain why we had proposed two options
for addressing the situation where a metropolitan planning organization
initially elects to shorten the conformity horizon and then elects to
revert to addressing the full time period covered by its transportation
plan.  

