Air Quality and Noise

The Clean Air Act established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six priority pollutants to protect public health and the environment. Transportation conformity, as required by the CAA, ensures that Federally-funded or approved transportation plans, programs, and projects conform to the air quality objectives established in the State Implementation Plan (SIP).

Procedures for abatement of highway traffic noise and construction noise under 23 CFR 772 and MaineDOT’s Highway Traffic Noise Policy apply to MaineDOT Type I and Type II projects.

The following guidance for complying with Air and Noise defines the process to determine the appropriate level of coordination and assessment of impacts.

Air Quality Guidance

Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q)

Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act prevents federal agencies from approving any project or from issuing any permit for actions not conforming to the provisions of an approved Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) or a State Implementation Plan (SIP).

Noise Guidance

Noise Control Act (42 U.S.C. 4901-4918)

The Noise Control Act requires highway agencies proposing to use federal-aid highway funds for Type I projects perform a noise analysis of sufficient scope to provide information needed to make the determination if abatement is required, reasonable, and feasible.

Procedures for Abatement of Highway Traffic Noise and Construction Noise (23 CFR 772)

23 U.S.C. 109(1) mandates noise standards. FHWA developed regulations to provide procedures for noise studies and noise abatement measures to help protect the public’s health, welfare, and livability, to supply noise abatement criteria, and to establish requirements for information to be given to local officials for use in planning and design of highways.