CONFORMITY DETERMINATION
 

As part of the development of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the long range Transportation Plan, EWGCOG and the Air Quality Advisory Committee (AQAC) are responsible for the preparation of an air quality Conformity Determination. Under the provisions of the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990, EWGCOG, as the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the St. Louis region, is the agency responsible for making the Conformity Determination. In accordance with the CAAA and related Federal regulations, both the Transportation Plan and the TIP must be found to be in conformity with all applicable State Implementation Plans (SIPs ) and with the mobile source emissions budgets as established by the SIPs before the TIP may be approved by the MPO and the Federal Highway Administration. Conformity Determination is to demonstrate that transportation projects and programs contained in the TIP and Transportation Plan will not have a negative impact on air quality in the region. The Conformity Determination is performed with input from the AQAC and the Inter Agency Consultation Group made up of representatives from the state, federal and local air and transportation agencies.

The one-hour ozone motor vehicle emissions budgets for volatile organic compounds (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are to be used in the Regional Emissions Analysis for the eight-hour ozone non-attainment area with approved Maintenance State Implementation Plans.  The anticipated emissions levels of VOC and NOx which are expected to result from the implementation of planned and programmed transportation projects (the "Action" scenario) has to be shown to be less than the motor vehicle emissions budgets.

A second component of a Conformity Determination is an assessment of progress in implementing Transportation Control Measures (TCMs) identified in the respective SIPs.  These measures are intended to reduce emissions or concentrations of pollutants from transportation sources by reducing vehicle use or otherwise reducing vehicle emissions. As part of the Conformity Determination, EWGCOG has to certify that TCMs in the categories included in the SIPs which are eligible for federal funding are on schedule for implementation and that no federal funds are being diverted which might delay their timely implementation.

Transportation Control Measures
Completion Report FY 1998-2000