Research Idea Details

Research Idea Scope

In 2012, a template for NEPA/conformity  documentation for project-level air quality
analyses was completed as NCHRP 25-25 (Task 71), (See “Templates for
Project Level Analysis Using MOVES, CAL3QHC/R and AERMOD”, http://144.171.11.40/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=3114.). The template report
produced in that study was  designed to
help state DOTs and other project sponsors implement new models and guidance
for project-level analyses  issued by the
US EPA under the federal transportation conformity rule (and, to a limited
extent, the US DOT for NEPA purposes). The intent of this proposed new study is
to prepare a complementary template for a comprehensive resource document for
modeling, The proposed template resource document would be designed to be
readily-customized by state DOTs for application within their respective
jurisdictions, and would have two main functions:

1) Provide or identify sources for models, methods and
assumptions (data) to be applied in project-level air quality analyses for a
given region or jurisdiction, to facilitate and streamline the completion by
modelers (including consultants) of analyses to meet NEPA and conformity
requirements as applicable. 

2) For areas subject to conformity requirements, to be
made subject to inter-agency consultation to meet the requirements specified in
the federal transportation conformity rule under 40 CFR 93.105. Once that
consultation is completed, the intent is for state DOTs to be able to reference
the resource document and the inter-agency consultation to which it was
subjected to meet conformity requirements for inter-agency consultation.
Project-specific consultation may then be conducted at the discretion of the
state DOT, e.g. for projects for which the selected models, methods and/or
assumptions significantly differed from those specified in the resource
document.

Urgency and Payoff

The benefit for state DOTs is streamlining of
environmental clearance processes by both facilitating the air quality modeling
process and, where applicable, by minimizing the need for project-specific
inter-agency consultation. Streamlining of environmental clearance processes is
consistent with the federal Every Day Counts initiative and MAP-21.