SCAG Commends Collaborative Solution to Maintain Federal Funding for Transportation Projects in Southern California

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) published a joint statement on Monday committing to a sustained collaboration across local, state, and federal levels to reduce emissions from all sources. This shared effort includes withdrawal of the AQMD’s 2019 Contingency Measure Plan, which the U.S. EPA proposed disapproving in February 2024. This withdrawal avoids potential highway sanctions that could have impacted federal transportation approvals and funding in the South Coast Air Basin, an area that includes all of Orange County as well as the urban areas of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.  

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has been engaging with the U.S. EPA and the AQMD for much of this year toward a solution to improve air quality and avoid highway sanctions. SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise released the following statement regarding the joint announcement: 

“We commend the efforts of AQMD, CARB and the U.S. EPA for their hard work and leadership to reach this resolution. We are pleased with this decision because it avoids impact to tens of billions of dollars of transportation investments in Southern California, which support implementation of our regional plan, Connect SoCal 2024.  

However, more difficult work lies ahead in continued efforts to improve Southern California air quality, which is some of the worst in the nation, and the most challenging to address. We are committed to continued partnership with South Coast Air Quality Management District, the California Air Resource Board, and the U.S. EPA on this issue, which is critical to the quality of life for people in our region.”