| Abstract |
States and communities are interested in accounting for the air quality benefits of their development choices. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends that this guidance be an additional tool to encourage the development of land use policies and projects which improve livability in general, and air quality in particular. This effort is intended to complement the efforts of states and local areas, and to provide guidance, flexibility and technical assistance to areas that wish to implement these measures, and count these measures towards meeting their air quality goals. This guidance describes EPA policies and practices regarding the quantification of air quality benefits of local-, regional-, or state-initiated land use strategies. EPA believes that accounting for air quality benefits, either in State Implementation Plans (SIPs), or through the conformity process, is appropriate for land use policies and projects where EPA has assurance that reduced emissions from transportation sources (cars, trucks, buses, etc.) will result. The guidance presents the conditions under which the benefits of land use policies and projects could be included in a SIP or in a conformity determination, and provides guidelines for quantifying the emissions reductions and meeting EPA reporting criteria. |
