The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting has posted a report on the potential impacts of global sea level rise on transportation infrastructure on the U.S. East Coast. The report details findings of a study exploring how predictions of future sea level elevations by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change might affect transportation infrastructure through changing coastlines and resulting periodic flooding. The report documents Phase I of the study, focusing on Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.; the second phase is to be completed in mid-2008 will address the Atlantic Coast of Florida, Delaware, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. For more information link to The Potential Impacts of Global Sea Level Rise on Transportation Infrastructure. (1-23-08)

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A final rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency provides additional flexibility to transportation agencies in meeting the Clean Air Act’s transportation conformity requirements. The rule, which implements provisions of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), provides more time for state and local governments to meet conformity requirements, provides a one-year grace period before the consequences of a conformity lapse apply, allows the option for reducing the time period for conformity determinations, and streamlines provisions. The rule also makes minor changes not related to SAFETEA-LU, including allowing the U.S. DOT to make categorical hot-spot findings for appropriate projects in carbon monoxide nonattainment and maintenance areas. The rule will be effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. A fact sheet and pre-publication version of the final rule are available on EPA’s Transportation Conformity Regulations website. (1-10-08)

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EPA has released a report analyzing data on implementation of its clean fuels program from 1995 through 2005 that cites reductions in emissions from gasoline that exceed regulatory requirements. Highlights of the report include a drop in average gasoline sulfur content; reductions in nitrogen oxide emissions from reformulated and conventional, untreated gasoline; and increased use of ethanol over methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as a gasoline oxygenate. For more information, link to Fuel Trends Report: Gasoline 1995-2005 on EPA’s Reformulated Gas website. (1-3-08)

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