TxDOT Air Quality Guidelines - 2006 Page: 4
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SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose of the Guidelines
These guidelines are intended to provide background information on air quality issues and
terminology, and to clarify the air quality analysis and documentation requirements for
environmental documents. The guidelines include sample language which can be used when
developing environmental documents.
1.2 Environmental Regulations and Legislation
" The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the 1970 Federal-Aid
Highway Act require TxDOT as a state transportation agency to consider the social,
economic, and environmental impacts of federal projects.
" The 1970 Clean Air Act (CAA) established National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS) for six pollutants, also known as criteria pollutants. See Section 2.1 for more
details on criteria pollutants.
" The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments established specific criteria which must be met for
air quality nonattainment areas. The criteria are based on the severity of the air pollution
problem and include the development and implementation of State Implementation Plans
(SIPs) and specific timetables for implementing mobile source emission control
strategies. If the criteria are not met, EPA can levy sanctions on all or part of the state.
Sanctions include stricter industrial controls and the withholding of federal highway
funds.
" Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991(ISTEA) and associated federal
planning regulations strengthened the role of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
(MPO) in transportation planning and programming while emphasizing intermodalism
and the environment. Furthermore, ISTEA linked transportation and environmental goals
by providing funding flexibility and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
Improvement Program (CMAQ).
" Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21St Century (TEA-21) and associated federal
planning regulations reaffirmed ISTEA's commitment to transportation intermodalism
and continued protection of public health and the environment. TEA-21 also provided a
significant increase in federal funding levels to Texas over those of ISTEA.
" Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Efficiency Act - Legacy for Users
(SAFETEA-LU) provides over $8.5 billion in funds for CMAQ projects for fiscal years
2005-2009. SAFETEA-LU also includes an expanded list of eligible CMAQ projects
and revisions to some conformity and planning requirements.4
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Texas. Department of Transportation. TxDOT Air Quality Guidelines - 2006, text, 2006; Austin, TX. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth637385/m1/4/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.