DATE:		June 4, 2009

SUBJECT:	2008 Ozone Conformity NPRM

		Pre-proposal Meetings with External Stakeholder Organizations

	The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of
Transportation and Air Quality transportation staff-level conformity
team members met with the following external stakeholder organizations
to discuss the 2008 ozone conformity NPRM and to provide a status update
on the 2006 PM Amendments NPRM:

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) – March 16, 2009

National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) – March 24, 2009

American Public Transportation Association (APTA) – March 24, 2009

Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) – March 25,
2009

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTO) – March 25, 2009

National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA) – March 30, 2009

Agenda for each meeting:

Purpose of Call;

Background for 2008 ozone NAAQS:

March 12, 2008 – EPA issued final rule on ground-level ozone NAAQS; 

Transportation conformity for the 2008 ozone NAAQS would apply one year
after effective date of EPA’s final nonattainment designations.

Potential issues covered by this rulemaking:

Provide transportation conformity requirements for areas designated
nonattainment for the 2008 ozone NAAQS.  These proposed changes include
the use of regional conformity tests in 2008 ozone areas, the use of
ozone budgets for other ozone NAAQS, and defining the baseline year;

Reorganize certain sections of the conformity rule to minimize future
rulemakings needed when new or revised NAAQS are issued.  We are
considering revisions to 40 CFR 93.109 and 93.119 of the conformity
rule, so that these provisions would apply to areas designated for new
or revised NAAQS in the future.

Discussion of rulemaking issues;

Status of conformity rulemaking for 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS areas.

Rulemaking issues discussed (staff-level ideas considered for proposal):

Proposal to restructure 40 CFR 93.109 to apply generally to all areas
designated for a new or revised NAAQS, rather than for each specific
NAAQS/pollutant;

Proposal to generalize baseline years in the baseline year interim
emissions test (40 CFR 93.119) for conformity purposes for any
NAAQS/pollutant;

Proposal to make required analysis years the same, regardless of whether
an area has an adequate or approved SIP budget or must use the interim
emissions test(s);

Use of interim emissions tests in 2008 ozone areas in lieu of older
ozone SIP budgets.

 

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