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Air Quality Conformity Branch

Air Quality Conformity

The Federal Clean Air Act (e.g. Transportation Conformity), the California Clean Air Act, the National Environment Policy Act (NEPA), and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) require transportation planning and project development to consider air quality as a part of the environment review process. Caltrans coordinates with Federal, State, and regional transportation planning agencies and local air districts to address transportation-related air quality issues. The Department develops policies, guidance, and tools to conduct air quality analyses in compliance with Federal and State regulations. Caltrans also initiates and participates in air quality researches and studies to advance its scientific knowledge and state-of-practice on the subject.

For more information on Transportation Conformity, NEPA, and CEQA, as well as other air quality policies, guidance, forms, and templates, refer to the Caltrans Standard Environmental Reference, Chapter 11 - Air Quality.

Air Quality Conformity Topics:

Newsletter (PDF) - Coming soon!
  • Updated Forms can be found in the SER
  • The Federal Clean Air Act "conformity" process includes an Interagency Consultation process that involves Federal Agencies (US EPA, Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Transit Administration), the State transportation agency (Caltrans), the State air quality management agency (California Air Resources Board), and regional transportation planning and air quality agencies (Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Air Pollution Control/Air Quality Management districts, and in some California cases Regional Transportation Planning Agencies). Transit and other transportation service providers are also involved.
  • Most Interagency Consultation occurs at the regional level. An Interagency Consultation group for the conformity process exists in all Federal non attainment areas. In most cases, the Transportation Planning Agency (Metropolitan Planning Organization - MPO) is the lead agency for the consultation process.
  • Purpose
    • How to Participate
    • The Statewide Conformity Working Group is a coordinating group for discussion and interagency agreement about transportation-related air quality and Federal Clean Air Act conformity issues in California. The public is welcome to participate, and there is a time on the agenda for public comment regarding issues not otherwise on the agenda. Actions taken by the group are not regulations; rather, they are informational in nature, or are agreements regarding procedures and interpretation of the transportation conformity regulations to be used by transportation agencies and project proponents.
    • Statewide Conformity Working Group meetings are generally held twice a year by teleconference. Teleconference access to the meeting is provided through regional call centers, usually located at offices of regional transportation planning agencies, air pollution control or air quality management districts, or Caltrans. Individual call-in access to the teleconference may also be provided; please contact the Working Group chair to arrange it.
    • The meeting and call center locations, with site contact information, are noted on the printable copy of the agenda for each meeting. Contact information for the call centers is also provided on the agenda.
    • The Statewide Conformity Working Group coordinates and considers issues of a statewide nature. The Group normally meets twice a year: usually in March and September or October. Meetings are held by teleconference using regional call-in meeting centers to minimize travel.
    • Statewide Conformity Working Group meetings, as with regional Interagency Consultation meetings in the Transportation Conformity process, are open to the public. Members of the public who wish to attend should either call in to the teleconference using the number announced here or arrange with regional teleconference coordinators for attendance. Regional teleconference centers and the agenda are usually posted at this site 1-2 weeks before the meeting.
    • The Statewide Conformity working group has been meeting since the mid-1990's. Formal Interagency Consultation requirements for conformity purposes came from the 1990 Federal Clean Air Act Amendments and the EPA Conformity Regulations at 40 CFR Part 93. The group was chaired initially by Caltrans, then by the California Air Resources Board until 2003. The Federal Highway Administration, California Division chaired the group in 2003, and US EPA, Region IX chaired the group in 2004. The group is currently chaired by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Transportation Planning Division, and suggestions or requests for agenda items should be sent to a Caltrans conformity staff member in the contact list below.
  • Areas Subject to Conformity
  • Map of Areas Subject to Conformity Requirements
  • Meeting Minutes