STAT E O F RHOD E ISLAN D AN D PROVIDENC E PLANTATION S DEPARTMEN T O F ENVIRONMENTA L MANAGEMEN T

OFFIC E OF AI RRESOURCE S NOTIC E O F PUBLI C COMMEN T PERIO D I N RE : Propose

d Ai r Pollutio n Contro l Regulatio n No . 4 9 Th e Directo r o f th e Rhod e Islan dDepartmen

t o f Environmenta

l Managemen

t (DEM ) propose

s to promulgat e Ai r Pollutio n Contro l Regulatio n No . 49 , "Transportation Conformity " an d give s notice o f inten t t o receiv e public commen

t o n th e propose d regulatio n an

d to affor dintereste

d partie s a n opportunit

y t o submi t data , views , o r argument s i n writin g on th

e propose d regulation . A public hearin

g o n th e propose dregulation wil l b

e hel di f DE M receive s areques

t fo r ahearing . I f apublic hearin

g i s held , anotic e wil l b

e publishe d announcin

g th e date , tim

e an d plac e o f suc h heanng . DEM , Offic e o f

Ai r Resources , i s proposin

g t o adop t Ai r Pollutio n Contro l (APC ) Regulatio n No . 4 9 "Transportatio

n Conformity" . Thi s regulation , i f adopted, wil l b

e submitte

d t o EP A t o b e incorporate

dint o th e Stat e Implementatio

n Pla n (SIP) . DEM , RIDOT , RIPTA , an dStatewid

e Planning , i n thei

r capacit y a s th e state' s Metropolita

n Plannin g Organization (MPO) , togethe r wit h thei r federa l counterpar

t agencies : th

e Environmenta

l Protectio n Agenc y (EPA) , th

e Federa l Highwa y Administratio n (F

H WA) , an

dth e Federa l Transi t Administratio n (FTA) , mus t fulfil l responsibilitie s unde r th e federa l Clea n Ai r Ac t (CAA) , t o ensur e tha t federa l fundin g an

dapprova l ar e give n t o transportation plans , program s an dproject s tha

t ar e consisten

t wit h th e ai r qualit y goal s establishe

d b y Rhod e Island' s Stat e Implementatio

n Pla n (SEP) . Conformity , t

o th e purpos e o f th e SIP , mean

s tha t transportatio

n activitie s wil l no

t caus e ne w ai r qualit y violations , worse

n existing violations , o

r dela y timel y attainmen

t o f th e NAAQS . Th

e federa l transportatio

n conformit

y rul e (4 0 CF Rpar t 93 ) set s fort h policy , criteria , an

dprocedures fo r

demonstratin

g an d assurin g conformit

y o f transportatio

n activities . Thi s propose

d regulatio

n i s intende

d t o formall y incorporat

e procedure

s followe dt o complet e thi s process . Th e purpos e o f thi s regulation i s t

o fulfil l th e requiremen

t i n 4 0 CF R51.390(b) t

o establis h aSI P revision tha

t include s th

e followin g thre

e section s o f th e federa l transportatio

n conformit

y rule :

• 4 0 CF R93.105 , whic

h addresse

s consultatio

n procedures ;

• 40 CF R93.122(a)(4)(ii) , whic

h state s tha t conformit

y SIP s mus t requir e tha t written commitment

s t o contro l measure

s b e obtaine dprio r t o aconformit

y determinatio

n i f th e control measure

s ar e no t include di n aMPO' s transportation pla n an d transportatio

n improvemen

t progra m(TIP) ; an

dtha t suc h acommitmen

t b e fulfilled ; an

d

• 4 0 CF R93.125(c) , whic h state

s tha t conformit

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

s t o mitigatio n measure

s b e obtaine dprior t o aproject-leve

l conformit

y determination , an

dtha t project sponsor s compl y wit h suc h commitments .Onc

e thi s stat e regulation i s approve

d b y EP A int o th e Rhod e Islan d SIP , i t ha s ful l lega l effect . Conformit

y determination s wil l b

e governe d by thes e criteri aan

d procedures a

s wel l a s an y applicabl e portion s o f

th e federa l conformit

y rule s tha

t ar e no t addresse d by th e stat e rule . Copie s o f th e propose d regulation s ca

n b e obtaine d a t th e DEM website , http://www.dem.ri.gov . (Clic k o n th e Regulation s lin

k o n th e lef t han d sid e o f th e pag e an d g o t o th e Propose d Regulation s section) . Copies ar e als o availabl

e a t DEM' s Offic e o f

Ai r Resource

s 23 5 Promenad e St. , Providence , RI . Any additiona l request s ca n b e mad e b y contactin

g th e Offic e o f Ai r Resource

s a t 222-2808 , weekdays , 8:30 AM

- 4:0 0 PM . DE M ha s complied wit

h th e requirement

s o f R.I . Gen . Law s Sectio

n 42-35- 3 b y considerin

g alternative approache

s t o th e propose d regulation s an

d ha s determine

d tha t ther e i s n o alternative approac h tha t woul db e a s effectiv e an

d les s burdensome . DEM ha s als o determine

d tha t th e propose d regulatio n doe

s no t overla p o r duplicat e an y othe r stat e regulation . DE M ha

s complied wit h th e requirement

s o f R.I . Gen . Laws Sectio

n 42-35-3.3 , 42-35.1- 3 an d 42-35.1-4 by preparin g a n Economi

c Impac t Statemen t an d aRegulator

y Flexibility Analysi s an

d providin g thes e t o th e Governor' s Office , th e Departmen

t o f Administration an

d th e Economi

c Developmen

t Corporation . DEM encourage

s th e submissio

n o f written comments . Writte n comments , t

o b e considere

d par t o f th e administrativ

e recor d mus t b e submitte d durin g th e public commen

t period . Written comment s ma y b e maile do r e-maile d t o th e Offic e o f

Ai r Resource s an d receive d n o late r tha n 4:0 0 PM , 2 2 Augus t 2011 , a t whic h tim e th e public commen

t periodwil l close . Th

e mailing addres

s fo r comment s is : Fran

k Stevenson

, Supervisin

g Ai r Qualit y Specialis

t Departmen

t o f Environmenta

l Managemen

t Offic e o f Ai r Resource s 23 5 Promenad

e Stree t Providence, R I 02908-576

7 Th e e-mai l address fo r

comment s is : frank.stevenson@dem.ri.go v Signe d thi s 15t h da y o f July , 201 1

Dougla s L . McVay , Actin g Chie f Offic e o f Ai r Resource s