Adopted March 12, 2015

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

Amendments to:

State Air Quality Control Plan

Vol. II: Analysis of Problems, Control Actions

Section III.I: Transportation Conformity

Adopted

March 12, 2015

Bill Walker

Governor 

Larry Hartig 

Commissioner

III.I
Adopted March 12, 2015

The underlined language within this version is new since its last adoption.

Acronyms & Abbreviations

AAC Alaska Administrative Code

AAQAC AMATS Air Quality Advisory Committee

ADOT&PF Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities 

AMATS Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions

CAA Clean Air Act

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

DEC Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

FMATS Fairbanks Metropolitan Area Transportation System

FNSB Fairbanks North Star Borough

FTA Federal Transit Authority

MOA Municipality of Anchorage

MPA Metropolitan Planning Area

MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization

MTP Metropolitan Transportation Plan

NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards

PM2.5 Fine Particulate Matter (< 2.5 microns)

PM10 Course Particulate Matter (< 10 microns)

U.S.C. United States Code

SAFETEA-LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act of 

2005: A Legacy for Users (Pub. L. 109–59)

SIP State Implementation Plan

TAC Technical Advisory Committee

TIP Transportation Improvement Program

UPWP Unified Planning Work Program

III.I-i
Adopted March 12, 2015

Volume II, Section III.I. Transportation Conformity

III.I.1 Introduction

Transportation conformity is required under Clean Air Act (CAA) section 176(c) (42 U.S.C. 

7506(c)) to ensure that federally funded highway and transit projects are consistent with the 

purpose of Alaska’s State Air Quality Control Plan. The portions of the State Air Quality 

Control Plan that are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the 

CAA are also known as the state implementation plan (SIP). Transportation conformity 

regulations are implemented by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) 

through this section of the SIP and related state regulations found in Article 7 of the Alaska 

Administrative Code (AAC), Title 18, Chapter 50 (18 AAC 50). Alaska’s SIP is a legally 

enforceable document demonstrating how the state will attain and maintain the national 

ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) in nonattainment and maintenance areas. 

Transportation conformity applies to areas that are designated nonattainment (a geographical

area where the air quality exceeds the NAAQS) and to those areas re-designated to attainment 

after 1990 or ‘‘maintenance areas’’(a geographical area that has implemented measures to 

improve air quality so that the pollution levels are within the NAAQS) for the following 

transportation-related criteria pollutants: ozone, fine and course particulate matter (PM-2.5 &

PM-10), carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Conformity for the purpose of the SIP means 

that transportation activities will not cause or contribute to new air quality violations, worsen 

existing violations, or delay timely attainment of the relevant NAAQS.

This chapter of Alaska’s SIP describes the regulations, criteria and procedures for assuring that 

transportation plans, programs, and projects in Alaska conform to the SIP's purpose of 

eliminating violations of the NAAQS and achieving expeditious attainment of these standards. 

These criteria and procedures apply to activities approved, adopted or funded under 23 U.S.C. 

(Highways) or 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53 (Federal Transit Laws) that contribute to regulated 

emissions within either a nonattainment or maintenance area. Alaska’s SIP is adopted by 

reference in Title 18, Chapter 50, Article 1 of the Alaska Administrative Code (18 AAC 

50.030).

III.I-1
Adopted March 12, 2015

III.I.2 Regulatory Background

EPA’s conformity procedures have been developed in accordance with section 176(c) of the 

Clean Air Act (CAA) ‘Limitations on Certain Federal Assistance’ which states the following:

"No department, agency, or instrumentality of the Federal Government shall engage 

in, support in any way or provide financial assistance for, license or permit, or 

approve, any activity which does not conform to an implementation plan after it has 

been approved or promulgated under section 110." 

Section 176(c) also requires states to include the procedures for making conformity 

determinations in their SIP.

In 1993, EPA promulgated two regulations which established the criteria and procedures for 

determining whether federally funded transportation activities conform to the CAA section 

176(c). The first regulation was promulgated on November 24, 1993 [58 FR 62188] and is 

entitled, "Conformity to State or Federal Implementation Plans of Transportation Plans, 

Programs, and Projects Developed, Funded or Approved Under Title 23 U.S.C. or the Federal 

Transit Laws" (Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 51, Subpart T). These 

regulations are known as the transportation conformity regulations. The second regulation was 

promulgated on November 30, 1993 [58 FR 63247] at 40 CFR Part 51, Subpart W, and is 

entitled "Determining Conformity of General Federal Actions to State or Federal 

Implementation Plans". These regulations are also known as the general conformity 

regulations. In 1994, DEC adopted regulations at 18 AAC 50 Article 7 to implement the 

requirements of 40 CFR, Part 51, Subparts T and W. Both subparts acted in concert with 40 

CFR Part 93 “Determining conformity of Federal actions to State or Federal implementation 

plans”, and were collectively known as the federal conformity regulations.

These same federal conformity regulations, 40 CFR Parts 51 and 93, were amended August 

15, 1997 [62 FR 43801]. These amendments required that states incorporate selected sections 

of 40 CFR Part 93, Subpart A "in verbatim form”. In 1998, the state met this requirement by 

incorporating these sections by reference at 18 AAC 50.710. The state decided that 

incorporating the federal requirements, as written in Subpart A, was the best approach for most 

of these regulatory amendments. Therefore, anytime the federal conformity regulations (40 

CFR, Part 93, Subpart A; or Part 51, Subparts T or W) were amended, these regulations then

became adopted by reference into 18 AAC 50.710. 

On August 10, 2005, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A 

Legacy for Users (SAFETEA–LU) was signed into law (Pub. L. 109–59). Section 6011 of 

SAFETEA–LU amended CAA section 176(c) and required EPA to promulgate changes to 40 

CFR, Part 51, Subpart T and Part 93, Subpart A [73 FR 4420, January 24, 2008]. The 

SAFETEA-LU Act eliminated the requirement for states to adopt and submit General 

III.I-2
Adopted March 12, 2015

Conformity SIPs. Under SAFTEA-LU, states are required to submit a transportation 

conformity SIP that addresses only the following provisions of the federal transportation 

conformity rule: 40 CFR 93.105; 40 CFR 93.122(a)(4)(ii); and 40 CFR 93.125(c). The 

requirements of SAFETEA-LU reduces the administrative burden for state and local agencies 

significantly because they minimize the possibility of having to revise the conformity SIP each 

time the federal rule is revised. Any future changes to the federal conformity rules that do not 

affect these three provisions apply immediately in any state that has only the three provisions 

in its approved conformity SIP, and such changes do not need to be adopted into the state’s 

SIP to be applicable.

In response to the passage of the SAFETEA-LU Act, the Federal Highway Administration 

(FHWA) made changes to regulations in Title 23 CFR, Part 450, Subpart C: Metropolitan 

Transportation Planning and Programming [72 FR 7224, February 14, 2007]. In February 

2010, DEC adopted new conformity regulations, in 18 AAC Article 7, to be consistent with 

some of the new requirements of Title 23 CFR, Part 450 and SAFETEA-LU. Specifically, 

DEC revised 18 AAC 50.720(b) (2) with the intent that a public hearing or meeting for a 

conformity determination be required for the following: 1) transportation plans and 

transportation improvement programs; 2) for projects within a designated nonattainment or 

maintenance area listed under 18 AAC 50.015(b) or (d), but not included within a 

transportation plan or transportation improvement program; and 3) if the written comments 

received under 18 AAC 720(b)(1) request a public hearing or meeting for a regionally 

significant project. Also, during this same regulatory change, DEC adopted EPA’s new 

transportation conformity regulations to include criteria and procedures for conducting PM2.5 

and PM10 hot-spot analyses during project level transportation conformity determinations [71 

FR 12468, March 10, 2006]. 

In March 2010, EPA again amended the transportation conformity regulations (40 CFR, Part 

93, Subpart T) in light of an October 17, 2006 final rule that strengthened the 24-hour PM2.5 

NAAQS [75 FR 14260, March 24, 2010]. During this regulation amendment, EPA also 

clarified the regulations concerning hot-spot analyses to address a December 2007 remand 

from the Court of Appeals. In April 2010, EPA amended its general conformity regulations 

(40 CFR, Part 51, Subpart W) to conform to the requirements of the SAFETEA-LU Act by 

eliminating the requirement for States to adopt and submit General Conformity SIPs [75 FR 

17254, April 5, 2010]. The current SIP revision streamlines Alaska’s transportation conformity 

regulations by removing the general conformity regulations and incorporating the three 

required provisions of the federal transportation conformity rule as required by the SAFETEALU Act. DEC's current transportation conformity regulations (18 AAC 50, Article 7), adopted 

on March 12, 2015, are included with this SIP submittal and can also be found at the State of 

Alaska’s Department of Law website: http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/folio.asp .

III.I-3
Adopted March 12, 2015

III.I.3 Agency Designations and Responsibilities

Title 40 CFR 51.240 states the following:

“Each state implementation plan must identify organizations, by official title 

that will participate in developing, implementing, and enforcing the plan and 

the responsibilities of such organizations. The plan shall include any related 

agreements or memoranda of understanding among organizations.”

As required under 40 CFR 51, Subpart T, and Part 93, Subpart A, whenever a local or state 

transportation planning organization receives federal funds under Title 23 U.S.C. (Highways) 

or Title 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53 (Federal Transit Laws) for transportation activities that 

contribute to emissions in a nonattainment area or maintenance area it is responsible for 

determining whether the federally-funded transportation project, transportation improvement 

program (TIP), or metropolitan transportation plan conforms to the SIP. In Alaska, DEC is 

responsible for implementing this requirement by regulation; therefore, no memoranda of 

understanding are needed to implement the transportation conformity requirements. Alaska 

Statutes Chapter 46.14 requires DEC to develop a SIP providing for the attainment of the 

NAAQS. The state regulatory procedures followed for SIP development are located in the 

state’s “Drafting Manual for Administrative Regulations”. 1

Alaska’s agency designations and responsibilities for metropolitan planning areas and nonmetropolitan planning areas, as required by 40 CFR 51.240, are presented in the following 

sections. As mentioned, Alaska’s transportation conformity regulations are found at 18 AAC 

50, in Article 7. These regulations require federal agencies to conform to the attainment 

measures and emissions budgets contained in Alaska’s SIP. Alaska’s attainment measures and 

emission budgets are located in Volume II, Section III of the SIP, as adopted by reference in 

18 AAC 50.030 and as presented in Table III.I.3-1 (as of July 2011). Alaska’s air quality 

designations, classifications and control regions are found at 18 AAC 50.015.

Table III.I.3-1 Attainment Plan Location in the SIP

Nonattainment/Maintenance Areas and Pollutant

Location of the Attainment Plan and 

Emission Budget within the SIP

Municipality of Anchorage: Carbon Monoxide Vol. II, Section III, Part B

Fairbanks North Star Borough: Carbon Monoxide Vol. II, Section III, Part C

Eagle River area: PM-10 Vol. II, Section III, Part D, Subpart 2

City & Borough of Juneau’s Mendenhall Valley area: 

PM-10 Vol. II, Section III, Part D, Subpart 3

Fairbanks North Star Borough: PM-2.5 Vol. II, Section III, Part D, Subpart 5

1: “Drafting Manual for Administrative Regulations”, 20th Edition, August 2013, AK Department of Law. 

III.I-4

 
Adopted March 12, 2015

III.I.3.1 Alaska’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Areas 

Sections 104(f) and 134 of the United States Code Title 23- Highways and the Urban Mass 

Transportation Act of 1964, as amended, provide funding for and require designation of a 

metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for urbanized areas of at least 50,000 population to 

carry out a transportation planning process. 2 These statutes require municipalities in Alaska 

with at least 50,000 people to coordinate with the State of Alaska on the planning and 

construction of all urban transportation facilities with a comprehensive transportation planning 

process. Currently, there are two MPOs governing two metropolitan planning areas (MPA) in 

Alaska as described below. 3

III.I.3.1.1 Municipality of Anchorage Metropolitan Planning Area

On April 8, 1976 the Governor of the State of Alaska designated the Municipality of Anchorage 

(MOA) as the MPO for its respective MPA. The Governor also identified the Anchorage 

Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions (AMATS) Policy Committee as the policy body 

providing the direction for transportation planning within the MOA MPA. AMATS consists 

of a Policy Committee; a Technical Advisory Committee; the Municipality’s Planning and 

Zoning Commission; an Air Quality Advisory Committee; the Municipal Assembly; the 

Freight Advisory Committee and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Additional 

details describing AMATS are provided in Volume II, Section III.B.1 of Alaska’s SIP. The 

roles and responsibilities of each policy body within AMATS are written in the 

“Intergovernmental Operating Agreement for Transportation and Air Quality Planning”

adopted on June 28, 2012.

4 The parties to the agreement are the State of Alaska and the 

Municipality of Anchorage, whom originally entered into this agreement effective as of 

October 1, 2002. 

The five member AMATS Policy Committee has the overall responsibility for the 

implementation of the inter-governmental agreement and for the adoption of the AMATS 

Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the 

Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). The AMATS Policy Committee has the primary 

responsibility for convening meetings, determining the meeting frequency and developing 

agendas with respect to the development and adoption of the MTPs, TIPs and the UPWP within 

the MOA MPA. 

2: Metropolitan Planning Organization (“MPO”) means the policy board of an organization created as a result 

of the designation process in 23 U.S.C. 134(d).

3: Metropolitan Planning Area (“MPA”) means the geographic area determined pursuant to 23 USC §134(d) in 

which the MPO carries out the development and implementation of transportation and air quality plans and 

programs under 23 USC §134 and the Federal Transit Act §8. 

4: AMATS Inter-Governmental Operating Agreement for Transportation and Air Quality Planning, 

dated June 28, 2012. 

III.I-5

 
Adopted March 12, 2015

The AMATS Policy Committee also has the responsibility for administering the public 

involvement process concerning the development of Air Quality Plans, the local component of 

Alaska’s SIP, and provides a formal recommendation to the Anchorage Assembly for its

approval. Unlike all the other plans, where final approval rests with the AMATS Policy 

Committee, Air Quality Plans (SIP amendments) are ultimately approved through resolution 

by the Anchorage Assembly. All Air Quality Plans, MTPs, TIPs and UPWPs are developed 

with full assistance from the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities 

(ADOT&PF) and DEC, as well as other cooperating agencies. These plans and programs,

together with the AMATS public involvement process, help to ensure transportation 

conformity within the MOA MPA.

The eleven member AMATS Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) reports to the AMATS 

Policy Committee. The TAC is responsible for the development of the AMATS’s

transportation plans and programs (e.g., MTPs, TIPs and the UPWP), including air quality plan 

development, as well as making recommendations to the Municipal Planning and Zoning 

Commission, the Anchorage Assembly and AMATS Policy Committee. The nine member 

AMATS Air Quality Advisory Committee (AAQAC) is appointed by the Policy Committee 

and is responsible for assisting, advising, and submitting recommendations to the AMATS 

TAC and Policy Committee with regards to air quality and transportation plans. The by-laws 

of the AAQAC were ratified by the AMATS Policy Committee on January 24, 2013. 5

III.I.3.1.2 Fairbanks North Star Borough Metropolitan Planning Area

On April 14, 2003, the Governor of the State of Alaska designated the Fairbanks Metropolitan 

Area Transportation System (FMATS) Policy Committee as the policy body providing the 

direction of transportation planning in the Fairbanks Metropolitan Area. FMATS is comprised 

of a Policy Committee and a Technical Committee. The seven member Policy Committee is 

comprised of the following representatives: Northern Region Director of ADOT&PF, a 

representative from DEC’s Air Quality Division, the Mayor of the FNSB, the Mayor of the 

City of Fairbanks, the Mayor of the City of North Pole, a designated representative from the 

FNSB assembly and a designated representative of the Fairbanks City Council. The roles and 

responsibilities of the each member agency within FMATS are written in the 

“Intergovernmental Operating Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding for 

Transportation and Air Quality Planning in the Metropolitan Area of the Fairbanks 

Metropolitan Planning Organization” signed December 16, 2013. 6

5: AAQAC By-Laws, as amended December 4, 2012, and ratified by the AMATS Policy Committee on 

January 24, 2013. 

6: FMATS Inter-Governmental Operating Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding for 

Transportation and Air Quality Planning, Amendment 1, signed December 16, 2013.

III.I-6

 
Adopted March 12, 2015

The City of Fairbanks is the designated host agency for the MPO’s Coordinator’s Office. The 

roles and responsibilities of the FMATS’s Coordinator’s Office are described in the “FMATS 

Memorandum of Understanding for the Implementation of a Fairbanks Metropolitan Area 

Transportation System Coordinator’s Office”7, dated November 2, 2007. The MPO, with 

assistance from the ADOT&PF, has the responsibility for developing the MTP, TIP and

UPWP; and for convening meetings, determining the meeting frequency and developing 

agendas with respect to conformity for the MTP and TIP. The UPWP is reviewed by the 

FMATS Technical Committee, approved by the Policy Committee and forwarded to 

ADOT&PF for concurrent approval by FHWA and Federal Transit Authority (FTA) prior to 

any work being performed. 

Within the Fairbanks MPA, the FNSB has been designated as the lead air quality agency 

responsible for developing an Air Quality Plan, the local component of Alaska’s SIP. The 

FNSB, with assistance from DEC, is responsible for convening meetings, determining the 

meeting frequency and developing agendas with respect to the development and adoption of 

the SIP within the FMATS MPA. Conformity related aspects of the air quality SIP are 

developed in consultation with the FMATS committees and the SIP is provided to the FMATS 

committees for their review. The FNSB Assembly also reviews the SIP and meets to adopt a 

resolution expressing its level of support for the Air Quality Plan or SIP amendments. All of 

these plans and programs comprise a major portion of the transportation conformity process 

within the FNSB MPA.

III.I.3.1.3 Conformity Analysis within the FNSB PM2.5 Non-attainment Area

Federal regulations, found at 23 CFR 450.314 (b-c), require that if the MPA does not include 

the entire nonattainment or maintenance area, an agreement shall be written between the state 

department of transportation (ADOT&PF), state air quality agency (DEC), affected local 

agencies (FNSB) and the MPO (FMATS) describing the process for cooperative planning and 

analysis of all projects outside the MPA but within the non-attainment or maintenance area. 

The roles and responsibilities of each agency for air quality related transportation planning in 

the FNSB PM2.5 non-attainment area are listed in the 2010 “Memorandum of Agreement for 

the Development of Transportation Conformity Determinations within the Fairbanks PM2.5 

Non-attainment Area” signed by ADOT&PF, DEC, FMATS and the FNSB.8

ADOT&PF is the lead agency, in collaboration with FMATS, FNSB and DEC, for 

coordinating the development of the transportation conformity analysis in the FNSB PM2.5 

7: FMATS Memorandum of Understanding for the Implementation of a Fairbanks Metropolitan Area 

Transportation System Coordinator’s Office, dated November 2, 2007. 

8: Memorandum of Agreement for the Development of Transportation Conformity Determinations 

within the Fairbanks PM2.5 Non-attainment Area, dated June 24, 2010.

III.I-7

 
Adopted March 12, 2015

non-attainment area. ADOT&PF, in collaboration with the FNSB, is responsible for the 

development of a Regional Long Range Transportation Plan which identifies fiscally 

constrained transportation projects for the non-attainment area outside of the MPA and which 

get incorporated into the MTP. Both DEC and FNSB are jointly responsible for implementing 

air pollution control measures in the FNSB PM2.5 non-attainment area and for the 

development and approval of any SIP amendments. 

DEC and ADOT&PF are responsible for ensuring that transportation activities conform to and 

are supportive of, the goals of the SIP in order to attain and maintain the NAAQS. DEC and 

FNSB are responsible for developing SIP emissions inventories and budgets; preparing a list 

of the transportation control measures (TCMs) in the approved SIP; providing the TCM list to 

the agencies described in this subsection and in 18 AAC 50.715(a) (2); preparing the final 

document or decision; assuring the adequacy of the interagency consultation process with 

respect to Alaska’s SIP and the list of TCMs in the approved SIP. 

III.I.3.2 Non-Metropolitan Planning Areas in Alaska 

For those municipalities and boroughs in Alaska with a population of less than 50,000 (i.e., 

non-metropolitan areas) the transportation conformity process is coordinated between the 

municipality and/or borough, ADOT&PF and DEC. If federal money is supporting the 

transportation project then the FHWA and/or the FTA are consulted. 

ADOT&PF is Alaska's statewide, including non-metropolitan planning area, transportation 

planning organization. ADOT&PF is the agency responsible for developing transportation 

plans, TIPs, making conformity determinations, preparing the final document or decision, and 

for assuring the adequacy of the interagency consultation process with respect to the 

development of any conformity determinations in non-metropolitan planning areas. 

ADOT&PF has the responsibility for convening meetings, determining the meeting frequency 

and developing agendas with respect to the development and adoption of any documents 

related to transportation conformity in non-metropolitan areas. The responsibilities of 

ADOT&PF are further described in Volume II, Section III.A.3 of the SIP. 

In non-metropolitan planning areas, the local or regional transportation or transit agency must 

disclose regionally significant projects to ADOT&PF in a timely manner. Such disclosure must 

be made no later than the first occasion on which any of the following actions is sought: 

(A) adoption or amendment of a local jurisdiction's transportation system 

plan to include a proposed project; 

(B) the issuance of administrative permits for the facility or for construction 

of the facility; 

III.I-8
Adopted March 12, 2015

(C) the execution of a contract for final design or construction of the facility; 

or

(D) the execution of any indebtedness for the facility, any final action of a 

board, commission or administrator authorizing or directing employees to proceed with 

final design, permitting or construction of the project, or any approval needed for any 

facility that is dependent on the completion of the regionally significant project.

To help assure timely disclosure, the sponsor of any potentially regionally significant project 

in non-metropolitan areas must disclose the details of such project to ADOT&PF as requested. 

Requests for disclosure must be made in writing to any affected local or regional transportation 

or transit agency.

In non-metropolitan planning areas, DEC is responsible for implementing the SIP and 

coordinating with local, state and federal agencies to ensure that federally funded 

transportation projects meet the intent of the state’s transportation conformity regulations. 

ADOT&PF would still have the lead on making sure transportation conformity is completed 

for transportation projects in non-metropolitan non-attainment/maintenance areas and would 

consult with DEC on these analyses. DEC is responsible for implementing the SIP and 

coordinating with ADOT&PF to ensure conformity.

FHA is the federal agency responsible for transportation planning and construction in Alaska. 

FTA is the federal agency responsible for public transit systems. Both agencies are responsible 

for ensuring that transportation conformity determinations are conducted, as required, prior to 

providing funds for transportation related projects funded under Title 23 U.S.C. or Title 49 

U.S.C. Chapter 53 (Federal Transit Laws).

III.I.4 General Roles and Responsibilities

Any other organization within the State of Alaska responsible under state law for developing, 

submitting or implementing transportation-related provisions of an implementation plan, and 

any local transportation agency or local government is entitled to participate in any interagency 

consultation process.

It is the role and responsibility of the sponsoring agency in an interagency consultation process 

to confer with all other agencies (as identified under this section and 18 AAC 50.715) with an 

interest in the document to be developed; provide all appropriate information to those agencies 

needed for meaningful input; solicit early and continuing input from those agencies; conduct 

the consultation process described in the applicable paragraphs of this article; where required, 

assure policy-level contact with those agencies; prior to taking any action, consider the views 

of each such agency; respond to those views in a timely, substantive, written manner prior to 

any final decision on such document and assure that such views and written response are made 

III.I-9
Adopted March 12, 2015

part of the record of any decision or action. 

It is the role and responsibility of each agency specified in this section and 18 AAC 50.715, 

when not fulfilling the role and responsibilities of a sponsoring agency, to confer with the 

sponsoring agency and other participants in the consultation process, review and comment as 

appropriate (including comments in writing) on all proposed and final documents and decisions 

in a timely manner, attend consultation and decision meetings, assure policy-level contact with 

other participants, provide input on any area of substantive expertise or responsibility 

(including planning assumptions, modeling, information on status of TCM implementation, 

and interpretation of regulatory or other requirements), and provide technical assistance to the 

sponsoring agency or consultation process in accordance with this article when requested. Any 

agency, by mutual agreement with another agency, may take on a role or responsibility 

assigned to that other agency under this rule.

III.I-10