UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

REGION III

1650 Arch Street

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

                                                                        
                                              



SUBJECT:	                                                               
                               June 5, 2012

Technical Support Document (TSD) - Insignificance Findings for the Motor
Vehicle Emissions for the Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for
the West Virginia Portion of the Wheeling, WV-OH 1997 Fine Particulate
Matter (PM2.5) Nonattainment Area 





FROM:	            /s/

Gregory Becoat

Environmental Scientist (3AP30)	





TO:	

Administrative Record for the Insignificance Findings for the Motor
Vehicle Emissions for the Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for
West Virginia Portion of the Wheeling, WV-OH 1997 PM2.5 Nonattainment
Area 

	





THRU:	                     /s/

Donna Mastro, Acting Associate Director 

Office of Air Program Planning (3AP30)	





I. Background

The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires federal actions in nonattainment and
maintenance areas to “conform to” the goals of State Implementation
Plans (SIP).  See, e.g., CAA section 176.  This means that such actions
will not cause or contribute to violations of a national ambient air
quality standard (NAAQS); worsen the severity of an existing violation;
or delay timely attainment of any NAAQS or any interim milestone. 
Actions involving Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) or Federal
Transit Administration (FTA) funding or approval are subject to the
transportation conformity rule (40 CFR part 93, subpart A).  Under this
rule, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in nonattainment and
maintenance areas coordinate with state air quality and transportation
agencies, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), FHWA, and FTA to
demonstrate that their metropolitan transportation plans and
transportation improvement programs (TIP) conform to applicable SIPs. 
This is typically determined by showing that estimated emissions from
existing and planned highway and transit systems are less than or equal
to the motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) contained in a SIP.

For MVEBs to be approvable, they must meet, at a minimum, EPA’s
adequacy criteria found at 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4).  In certain instances,
the Transportation Conformity Rule allows areas to forgo establishment
of a MVEB where it is demonstrated that the regional motor vehicle
emissions for a particular pollutant or precursor are an insignificant
contributor to the air quality problem in an area.  The general criteria
for insignificance determinations can be found in 40 CFR 93.109(f). 
Insignificance determinations are based on a number of factors,
including the percentage of motor vehicle emissions in context of the
total SIP inventory; the current state of air quality as determined by
monitoring data for the relevant NAAQS; the absence of SIP motor vehicle
control measures; and the historical trends and future projections of
the growth of motor vehicle emissions.  EPA’s rationale for providing
for insignificance determinations is described in the July 1, 2004,
revision to the Transportation Conformity Rule at 69 FR 40004. 
Specifically, the rationale is explained on page 40061 under the
subsection XXIII.B. entitled, “Areas With Insignificant Motor Vehicle
Emissions.”  Any insignificance determination under review of EPA is
subject to the adequacy and approval process for EPA's action on the
SIP.

II.  Administrative Requirements for Making Insignificance Findings  

EPA has followed the process for reviewing the submitted SIP and
determining if an insignificance finding for Motor Vehicle Emissions is
warranted in accordance with the procedures listed in the January 2008
Conformity Regulations contained in 40 CFR 93.102(b) - “Geographical
applicability” and 40 CFR 93.118(f) - “Adequacy review process for
implementation plan submissions.”  

On March 8, 2012, the State of West Virginia formally submitted a
Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for West Virginia Portion of
the Wheeling, WV-OH 1997 PM2.5 Nonattainment Area (hereafter the
Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan).  The SIP included a request
for a finding of insignificance by EPA for motor vehicle emissions for
nitrogen oxides (NOx), direct particulate matter (PM), and sulfur
dioxide (SO2).

III.  Evaluation of the Request for an Insignificance Finding for Motor
Vehicle Emissions in the Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for
the West Virginia Portion of the Wheeling, WV-OH  1997 PM2.5 
Nonattainment Area Submitted By The West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection 

In this TSD, EPA is evaluating the West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection’s request for an insignificance finding for
motor vehicle emissions associated with the Redesignation Request and
Maintenance Plan contained in the submittal.  EPA is using the
evaluation criteria detailed in the Transportation Conformity Rule, 40
CFR 93.102(b)(2)(iv), 93.102(b)(2)(v), 93.102(b)(3), and 93.118(e)4
through 93.118(e)5.  The evaluation is presented below.

Review of the Request for Insignificance Finding of Motor Vehicle
Emissions in the Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the West
Virginia Portion of the Wheeling, WV-OH PM2.5 Nonattainment Area 

Transportation Conformity Rule

40 CFR Part 93, 93.118	

Review Criteria	

Was the Criterion Satisfied?  If Yes, How was this Criteria Satisfied?

93.102(b)(2)(iv)	Has the EPA and the State made a finding that NOx is an
insignificant contributor to the direct mobile PM emissions or does the
implementation plan fail to establish a NOx budget as part of the PM 2.5
maintenance strategy?

	The State has requested that NOx be found an insignificant contributor
to the mobile PM emissions.  This request is based on the fact that
Onroad mobile source NOx constitutes less than twelve and a half percent
of the area’s total NOx emission in the 2015 and 2022 horizon years
due to continuing fleet turnover even with future vehicle miles traveled
(VMT) growth included in the emission projections. 

93.102(b)(2)(v)	Has the EPA or State made a finding that Volatile
Organic Compounds (VOCs), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) or Ammonia (NH(3)) as
precursors to be a significant contributor to the mobile PM emissions or
does the implementation plan  submission establish a  budget for VOCs,
SOx or NH(3) as part of a PM 2.5  maintenance strategy?	Neither EPA nor
the State has made any findings that VOCs, SO2, or NH(3) is a
significant contributor to the PM2.5 mobile emissions, and therefore, it
has not been included in the SIP.  Onroad mobile source SO2 constitutes
less than 0.1% of the area’s total SO2 emissions in the 2015 and 2022
horizon years.

93.102(b)(3)

	Has the EPA or the State made a finding that direct PM is a significant
contributor to the PM mobile emissions or does the implementation plan 
establish a budget that includes direct PM as part of a PM 2.5
maintenance strategy?

	The State has requested that direct PM be found an insignificant
contributor to the mobile PM emissions.  This request is based on the
fact that Onroad mobile source PM2.5 constitutes less than two and a
half percent of the area’s total PM2.5 emissions in the 2015 and 2022
horizon years due to continuing fleet turnover even with future VMT
growth included in the emission projections. 

Sec. 93.118(e)(4)(i)	Was the submitted revised plan endorsed by the
Governor (or his or her designee) and subject to a State public hearing?

	Yes.  The submitted Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan was
endorsed and submitted as a SIP revision by the Governor’s designee,
the Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Environmental
Protection.  A public hearing on the SIP proposal was held. 

Sec. 93.118(e)(4)(ii)	Before the maintenance plan was submitted to EPA,
did consultation between federal, State and local agencies occur; was
full implementation plan documentation provided to EPA, and was EPA’s
stated concerns, if any, addressed?	Yes.  Consultation has occurred
among all required Federal, State, and local agencies.

Sec. 93.118(e)(4)(iii)	Were the MVEBs clearly identified and precisely
quantified?	As there was a request for an insignificance finding, no
MVEBs were identified in the SIP.  

Sec. 93.118(e)(4)(iv)	Are the motor vehicle emissions, when considered
together with all other emission reductions, consistent with applicable
requirements for maintenance strategies?	EPA believes that motor vehicle
emissions can be declared insignificant contributors because in
comparing the motor vehicle emissions to the overall emissions
inventory, the motor vehicle emissions comprise only a small portion of
the over PM2.5 emissions for the nonattainment area and are projected to
continue to significantly decline due to fleet turnover.

Sec. 93.118(e)(4)(v)	Is the motor vehicle emissions consistent with and
clearly related to the emissions inventory and the control measures in
the Plan?

	EPA believes that the motor vehicle emissions have clearly related to
the emissions inventory in the SIP submittal.

Sec. 93.118(e)(4)(vi)	Revisions to previously submitted maintenance
plan: explain and document any changes to previously submitted budgets
and control measures; impacts on point and area source emissions; any
changes to established safety margins (see Sec. 93.101 for definition);
and reasons for the changes (including the basis for any changes related
to emission factors or estimates of vehicle miles traveled).	N/A 

This is a new NAAQS that the area was designated as nonattainment for
and this is the initial control strategy SIP submitted by the state to
address the new NAAQS.



Sec. 93.118(e)(5)	Did they provide and we review public comments and the
State’s responses to those comments with the submitted control
strategy SIP?	There were no comments on the SIP related to the proposed
insignificance finding request.



IV.  Findings 

Based upon our review and evaluation of the motor vehicle emissions
contained in the Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the West
Virginia Portion of the Wheeling, WV-OH 1997 PM2.5 Nonattainment Area,
EPA finds that the SIP submittal meets the criteria in the
transportation conformity rules for an insignificance finding for NOx,
PM2.5, and SO2 contribution from motor vehicles.  Weighing all the
factors for an insignificance finding, particularly the minor
contribution of mobile source PM2.5, and SO2, EPA has determined that
the PM2.5 and SO2 contribution from motor vehicles emissions to the
Annual PM2.5 pollution for the West Virginia portion of the
Nonattainment Area are insignificant.  With respect to transportation
conformity, the larger NOx contribution of less than twelve and a half
percent of the area’s total NOx emission in the 2015 and 2022 horizon
years requires further justification to request an insignificant
finding.  40 CFR 93.109(f) bases insignificance on emission percentages,
emission trends, and the effectiveness of the pollutant in forming PM. 
For the Wheeling area, there is a significant emission decrease
projected for the highway sector and total emissions inventory in years
2008, 2015, and 2022.  Given the relatively small contribution of the
highway emissions to the total SIP inventory, highway emissions are not
likely to contribute significantly to local PM2.5.  Additionally, NOx
reductions are significantly less effective in reducing PM
concentrations than are reductions in direct PM and SO2.  Consequently,
NOx percent emission contribution may be higher than direct PM and SO2
without adversely affecting air quality.  Based on the analysis of local
historical trends and growth patterns in order to develop the long range
transportation plan and transportation improvement program for
transportation conformity purposes, there is no reason to expect highway
motor vehicle emissions growth that would lead to a violation of the
PM2.5 standard.  Although vehicle miles traveled increases, NOx
emissions decrease dramatically from 4505.4 tons/year in 2002 to 665.7
tons/year in 2030.  This demonstrates that highway emissions will remain
insignificant in the future.  Upon review of the further justification
for requesting an insignificant finding for NOx, EPA has determined that
NOx contribution from motor vehicles emissions to the Annual PM2.5
pollution for the West Virginia portion of the Nonattainment Area is
insignificant.

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