This ICR has
been approved for 3 years. Before resubmission of this ICR for
renewal, the Agency should reassess burden estimates taking into
account designations for all relevant pollutants during the covered
information collection period. Furthermore, the Agency should
verify through consultations whether burden is imposed or is
expected to be imposed upon non-Government entities to satisfy
Transportation Conformity requirements.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
05/31/2011
36 Months From Approved
05/31/2008
10,433
0
1,510
52,304
0
29,414
0
0
0
Transportation conformity is required
under Clean Air Act section 176(c) (42 U.S.C. 7506(c)) to ensure
that federally supported transportation activities are consistent
with ("conform to") the purpose of the state air quality
implementation plan (SIP). Transportation conformity determinations
are required before federal approval or funding is given to certain
types of transportation planning documents as well as non-exempt
highway and transit projects. The Clean Air Act gives EPA the
statutory authority to establish the criteria and procedures for
determining whether transportation activities conform to the SIP.
Federal, state, and local transportation agencies use information
collected under the conformity regulation to ensure that federally
funded or approved transportation actions conform with SIPs for
attaining and maintaining clean air throughout the country.
Specifically, transportation agencies use information they collect
to demonstrate that: * Regional emissions and/or project-level
emissions analysis requirements are satisfied; * Transportation
control measures (TCMs) in approved SIPs are implemented in a
timely manner; * State, local, and federal transportation and air
quality agencies consult and resolve issues related to conformity
determinations; and, * Public comments are considered and responses
to comments are documented prior to conformity actions. In the
transportation conformity process, the respondent is typically
either a state or local agency. Depending upon the type of
conformity determination and the type of area involved, the state
or local agency may vary. For instance, in metropolitan
nonattainment and maintenance areas, metropolitan planning
organizations (MPOs) are the primary local respondent for
transportation plan and TIP conformity determinations. Clean Air
Act section 176(c)(1) states that "... No metropolitan planning
organization designated under section 134 of Title 23, shall give
its approval to any project, program, or plan which does not
conform to an implementation plan approved or promulgated under
section 7410 of this title...." In metropolitan areas, each MPO
must formally make a conformity determination on its transportation
plan and TIP prior to submitting them to the Federal Department of
Transportation (DOT) for an independent review and conformity
determination. State or local air agencies also provide technical
assistance in supplying air quality data or performing emissions
factor modeling for transportation plan and TIP regional conformity
analyses. State and local respondents for conformity determinations
for projects within metropolitan areas can vary depending upon who
the project sponsor is. A project sponsor within a metropolitan
area may be the state department of transportation or local transit
agency, depending upon the individual project. Developing
conformity determinations for projects outside metropolitan
boundaries is also typically the responsibility of the project
sponsor, which is usually the state department of transportation.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) are also responsible for making conformity
determinations. The transportation conformity rule also requires
that state, local and federal transportation and air quality
agencies develop interagency consultation procedures for discussing
and resolving issues related to conformity determinations. Such
agencies include the MPO, local transit agency, state department of
transportation, state and local air agencies, EPA, FHWA, and FTA.
Federal respondents for conformity determinations are discussed
further in Section 5 of the supporting statement for this
ICR.
There is an increase of 22,890
hours in the total estimated state and local respondent burden
compared with state and local respondent burden identified in the
ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase reflects the following
adjustments and program changes: 1)Program change associated with
transfer of burden from DOT ICR (OMB #2132-0529) to EPA ICR
2130.03. 2)Adjustments associated with the implementation of
transportation conformity provisions in SAFETEA-LU. 3)Reduced
burden from the previous ICR, which included substantial start-up
burden for areas that had never done transportation conformity
prior to PM2.5 and 8-hour ozone NAAQS. These areas now have
experience with conformity. 4)Other factors that have been updated
since the existing ICR was approved.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
2130ss03.doc
Transportation Conformity Determiniations for Federally Funded and Approved Transportation Plans, Program and Projects (Renewal)