Stat e o f Rhod e Islan d Departmen

t o f Environmenta

l Managemen

t Offic e o f Ai r Resources
I n re : Propose d Ai r

Pollutio n Contro l Regulatio n No
. 49 , Transportatio n Conformity
.

DECISIO N Introductio n On 1 5 Jul y 201 1 anotic e wa s poste d on the website s o f

th e Rhod e Island Departmen

t o f Environmenta

l Managemen

t (R I DEM ) an

d th e Rhod e Island Offic e o f

Secretar y o f Stat e an d wa s maile d and/o

r emailed t o interested partie s announcin g apubli c commen

t perio d t o accep t comment s on th e adoptio n o f

propose d Ai r Pollutio n Contro l Regulatio n No.49 , Transportatio n Conformity
. Th

e notic e state

d tha t apubli c hearin g woul d b e hel d i f requested
. N o request

s fo r a publi c hearing wer

e received
. Th

e publi c commen

t perio d extende

d unti l 4:0 0 P M o n 2 2 Augus t 2011
. Th e purpos e o f

propose d APC Regulatio n No
. 49 , entitle d "Transportation Conformity " i s to fulfil l th e requiremen

t i n 4 0 CF R 51.390(b ) t

o establis h aStat

e Implementatio n Pla

n (SIP ) revisio n tha

t include s th

e followin g thre e section s o f th e federa l transportation conformity rule :

• 4 0 CF R 93.105 , whic h addresses consultatio n procedures ;

• 40 CF R 93.122(a)(4)(ii) , whic h state s tha t conformity SIP

s mus t requir e tha t writte n commitment s t

o contro l measures b

e obtaine d prio r

t o aconformit

y determinatio n i f

the contro l measures ar

e no t include d i n aMPO' s transportatio n pla n an d transportatio n improvemen

t progra m(TIP) ; an

d tha t suc h acommitmen

t b e fulfilled ; an

d

• 40 CF R 93.125(c) , whic h state s tha t conformit

y SIP s must requir e tha t writte n commitment s to mitigatio n measure s b e obtaine d prio r

t o aproject-leve l conformity determination , an

d tha t projec t sponsor s comply wit h suc

h commitments
. Onc e thi s stat e regulatio n i s approve

d by EP A int o th e Rhod e Islan d SIP , i t

ha s ful l lega l effect
. Conformity determination s wil l b e governed by these criteri aan d procedure s a

s wel l a s an y applicable portion s o f

th e federa l conformity rule s tha

t ar e not addresse d by th e stat

e rule
. Fou r responses wer

e receive d durin g th

e commen

t period
. Tw o responses wer e request s from Lenett e Boissell e an

d Harr y Hallgrin g fo r

clarificatio n concerning th e applicabilit

y o f th e propose d regulation s t

o othe r Ai r Pollutio n Contro l Programs : boa t buildin g facilitie s an

d Stag e I I vapo r recover y systems . Bot

h respondent

s wer e informe d o f

th e non-applicabilit

y o f the propose d regulation s t

o the referenced facilit y types .Written comment s wer e receive d fromth e Unite d State

s Environmenta

l Protectio n Agency , an

d th e RI offic e o f

Statewid e Planning
. Th

e followin g i s th

e Offic e o f

Ai r Resources ' response

s to th e written comment

s received : Respons e to Comment s Th e followin g ar

e th e comment

s o f the USEP

A contained i n a1 9 Augus t 201 1 lette

r fromAnn e Arnol d to Fran

k Stevenso n followe d b y DEM' s response . Comment: Page 8, subsection 49.3.2(c): Although regional offices of federal agencies are typically the participants of the interagency consultation process, the interagency consultation process should not be limited

to just the regional

offices. Therefore, EPA recommends this subsection be revised to read: ".
. .participat

e i n an y interagenc

y consultatio n proces s unde r thi s rul e include th

e RIDOT , RIPTA , th

e Federa l Highwa y Administration , Rhod

e Islan d Division , th

e Federa l Transi t Administratio n Regio

n 1 offic e FHWA , FTA , an d EPA. " Response : Changes mad e a s suggested
. Comment: Page 15, subsection 49.6: Since the term "SIP" is not defined, for

consistency and clarity, EPA recommends the second and third bullets in this subsection be revised to read: "..
. whic h states tha

t applicabl e implementatio n plan s fo r conformit

y SIP s mus t requir e writte n ... " Response : Changes mad e a s suggested
. Th e followin g ar

e th e comment

s o f th e Rhode Islan d Offic e o f Statewid e Plannin g contained i n a29 Jul y 201 1 emai l fromVincen t Floo d to Fran

k Stevenso n followe d by DEM' s response . Comment: The draft

regulation looks good, but we just have one concern regarding section 49.5 on project

level mitigation and

control measures and

deleting the sentence holding the project

sponsor (RIPTA, or

RIDOT) responsible

for enforcing such measures. I see you point

out in the fact sheet that 40CFR 93.125 that

project "sponsors comply with such commitments", can we maybe add that in to the last

sentence of 49.5 2Response : Th e last sentenc e i n section 49. 5 wa

s revise d t o read : "...Writte n commitment

s mus tb e obtaine d befor e suc h mitigatio

n o r contro l measure s ar e use d i n a project-leve

l hot-spo tconformit

y analysi s fo r a project

leve l determinatio

n an d projec tsponsor s mus tcompl y wit h suc h commitments. " Decisio n I t i s th e decision o f

th e Offic e o f

Ai r Resource s t

o amen d th e draf t Ai r Pollutio n Contro l Regulation No
. 4 9 a

s indicate d i n the respons e to comment s above
. Th

e final amende

d regulatio n i s appende

d t o thi s Decision
. 

# imhi • Dat e Douglas McVay , Actin g Chie f Offic e o f Ai r Resources

Jane t Coit , Director Rhod e Island Departmen

t o f Environmenta

l Managemen

t

3