NOACA Board Hears Task Force Recommendations for Improving Regional Air Quality

At the July 14 meeting of the NOACA Governing Board, NOACA Environmental Planner Pamela Davis outlined recommendations prepared by the NOACA Air Quality Public Advisory Task Force for the 8-Hour Ozone State Implementation Plan (SIP). The recommendations include programs and strategies to help Ohio improve its air quality and meet federal clean air standards. Eight counties in northeast Ohio (Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties) currently do not meet clean air standards for ozone, making it a “non-attainment” area.

Recommendations were offered for cleaner fuels; funding priorities for vehicle-related programs and projects that would reduce emissions from cars, trucks, buses and construction equipment; and additional statewide controls for business emissions. The Board will be asked to adopt these recommendations at its August meeting.

After the presentation, Lake County Commissioner Robert Aufuldish, chair of the Air Quality Task Force, commented that “As northeast Ohio continues to be under federal and state mandates for cleaner air, it’s detrimental to economic development. There’s also a health concern because poor air quality adversely affects people with asthma and other breathing problems. If these recommendations get us into compliance, it will benefit the entire state. What we’re recommending is not that difficult to accomplish if we all work together.” For more information on these recommendations visit NOACA’s Web site and click on “informational presentation on the Ozone Recommendations”.

The Board also adopted an update to the Regional Transportation Investment Policy (RTIP) to address future expenditure of transportation enhancement (TE) funds in the NOACA five-county region. NOACA uses the RTIP to direct the planning, prioritizing and programming of federal-aid projects, and TE funds are used for projects that enhance the transportation system (i.e., bicycle and pedestrian facilities, landscaping, and safety programs) or preserve historic transportation facilities. Analysis showed that there will be few TE funds available through the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act – a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), and the RTIP amendment identifies how future projects will be processed if the region acquires additional TE dollars.

Board members also approved the Trans-Erie Ferry Terminal project, submitted by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, for inclusion on NOACA’s Transportation Plan, Connections 2030, and State Fiscal Year 2006 – 2009 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The project has been earmarked for SAFETEA-LU funds and includes the construction of a 30,000 square foot terminal building and operational costs to ferry both passengers and cargo across Lake Erie.

The Board also adopted a resolution certifying that the agency is conducting the urban transportation planning process and its metropolitan planning responsibilities according to federal regulations. This self-certification process is conducted annually.