UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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^ Environmental News
Fitzwater (202) 755-0344
O'Neill (202) 755-0344
FOR RELEASE AFTER 3 P.M. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1974
EPA REQUIRES AIR POLLUTION IMPACT REVIEW OF INDIRECT SOURCES
The Environmental Protection Agency today issued final
regulations for reviewing the air quality impact, prior to
construction, of new facilities which may generate significant
amounts of auto traffic.
These facilities, called "indirect" sources of air pollu-
tion, include highways; large parking lots and garages; recrea-
tion, sports and entertainment facilities with large parking lots,
and major airports.
EPA Administrator Russell E. Train stated that "review
of new facilities that may cause air quality problems because
of the motor vehicle congestion they stimulate is a crucial part
of the nation's air pollution control program." Train noted
that "although EPA is issuing these regulations, I anticipate
and hope that State and local governments will soon assume
administration of the indirect source review program."
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EPA PORM 1510-1 (REV. 8-72)
R-362

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The new regulations are applicable to indirect sources
commencing construction after January 1, 1975. The review is
designed to insure that construction of such sources will not
result in violation of the national ambient air quality standards.
According to EPA, indirect source review is just one element in
an overall strategy of air quality maintenance that includes
such on-going programs as pre-construction review of new stationary
sources (e.g., power plants, industrial facilities), standards
of performance for new industrial sources, the Federal auto emis-
sion control program, and air quality maintenance plans to be
developed by each State for areas in which the next decade's
development could jeopardize maintenance of air quality standards.
These plans are to insure that proper consideration is given to
air quality in overall community development and transportation
planning.
The regulations specify different sizes of facilities to
be reviewed in "urban" versus "non-urban" areas. The nation's
Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs) are the "urbanized"
areas.
The following indirect sources must be reviewed:
—New road and highway sections in an urbanized area which
are expected to carry average daily traffic volumes of 20,000 or
more vehicles at any time within 10 years of construction; and
modified road or highway sections expected to increase existing
average daily traffic volume by 10,000 vehicles or more.
—Any new airport in urban or non-urban areas, which is
expected to have 50,000 or more aircraft operations per year by
regularly scheduled air carriers or 1.6 million passengers per
year within 10 years of construction; and any modified airport
expected to increase scheduled air carrier operations by 50,p00
per year or passengers by 1.6 million per year.
—Any indirect source in an urban area which has a new
parking area for 1,000 cars or more, or has a modified parking
area which increases capacity by 500 cars or more.
—Any indirect source in a non-urban area which has a new
parking capacity of 2,000 or more cars or is modified to in-
crease capacity by 1,000 cars or more.
All owners or operators of indirect sources would have to
receive approval for construction from the EPA Administrator or
his designated agency.
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Although the regulations become effective for any source
which "commences construction" on or after January 1, 1975, EPA will
initiate advance review procedures on July 1, 1974. The early
review is designed to help developers secure approval in advance
for projects on which construction will be started shortly after
January 1, 1975.
"Today's regulations/" Train said, "will encourage communities
and developers to use good planning and design practices to reduce
congestion and thereby avoid air quality problems. By focusing
on good planning and design we will largely avoid making air
quality a constraint on orderly development."
Today's regulations were established in response to a D.C.
Court of Appeals order of January 31, 1973, in the case of Natural
Resources Defense Council vs. EPA, which directed EPA to be cer-
tain that the State Implementation Plans adequately provide for
maintenance of the national ambient air quality/standards.
EPA subsequently determined that no State plan contained such
adequate provisions and required all States to submit indirect
source review plans.
To date, EPA has received 14 officially submitted State
plans for review of indirect sources. Of these, the Florida and
Guam plans were fully approved by EPA today. The Alabama plan was
approvable except for a procedural deficiency related to public
comment provisions.
Five plans, from Connecticut, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Ver-
mont and Virginia, have been or soon will be proposed for public
comment on their approvability by EPA. The other seven plans
(Alabama, Idaho, Maine, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and
Washington) had certain deficiencies. EPA today promulgated
alternate measures to correct these deficiencies.
For these States and the others that failed to submit plans,
EPA will withdraw its regulations if the States submit an approv-
able plan.
EPA said it will work closely with cognizant State and local
air pollution control agencies, community planning and transpor-
tation agencies, and general purpose local governments. EPA is
encouraging State agencies that develop their own programs to
work with appropriate local governmental agencies.
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In addition to the indirect source regulations, EPA is
presently working with the States on plans which will insure the
maintenance of all national ambient air standards in the frame-
work of general growth, i.e. projected future increase in popu-
lation, industrial activity, and motor vehicles.
The timetable for these air quality maintenance plans is:
March 18, 1974, the States must submit to EPA lists of areas where
future development over the next 10 years may cause air quality
to exceed the national standards* By June 18, 1975, the States
must submit a program for measures to properly integrate air
quality considerations into overall development plans.
EPA is requiring the air quality maintenance plans since
source-by-source review is not by itself an adequate means of
evaluating and insuring that air quality standards will be
achieved and maintained.
Today's regulations will appear shortly in the Federal Register.
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SOURCES TO BE REVIEWED IN
URBAN AREAS (SMSA's)
ROADS & HIGHWAYS
NEW	20,0 00 vehicles per day (average)
MODIFIED 10,000 vehicles increase per day over
existing traffic (average)
AIRPORTS
NEW	50,000 operations or 1.6 million passengers
per year
MODIFIED 50,000 operations per year increase over
existing level, or 1.6 million passenger
increase per year
OTHER INDIRECT SOURCES
NEW	Parking for 1,000 cars or more
MODIFIED Parking for 500 cars over existing number

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SOURCES TO BE REVIEWED IN
NON-URBAN AREAS (SMSA's)
AIRPORTS
(Same as in urban areas)
INDIRECT SOURCES/ OTHER THAN HIGHWAYS & AIRPORTS
NEW	Parking for 2,000 cars or more
MODIFIED	Parking for 1,000 cars or more over
existing number

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