(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no recipient of Federal funds designated under title 23 U.S.C. or the Federal Transit Laws shall adopt or approve a regionally significant highway or transit project, regardless of funding source, unless the recipient finds that the requirements of one of the following are met:

(1) The project comes from the currently conforming transportation plan and TIP (or meets the requirements of §93.104(f) during the 12-month lapse grace period), and the project's design concept and scope have not changed significantly from those that were included in the regional emissions analysis for that transportation plan and TIP;

(2) The project is included in the regional emissions analysis for the currently conforming transportation plan and TIP conformity determination (or meets the requirements of §93.104(f) during the 12-month lapse grace period), even if the project is not strictly included in the transportation plan or TIP for the purpose of MPO project selection or endorsement, and the project's design concept and scope have not changed significantly from those that were included in the regional emissions analysis; or

(3) A new regional emissions analysis including the project and the currently conforming transportation plan and TIP demonstrates that the transportation plan and TIP would still conform if the project were implemented (consistent with the requirements of §§93.118 and/or 93.119 for a project not from a conforming transportation plan and TIP).

(b) In isolated rural nonattainment and maintenance areas subject to §93.109(g), no recipient of Federal funds designated under title 23 U.S.C. or the Federal Transit Laws shall adopt or approve a regionally significant highway or transit project, regardless of funding source, unless the recipient finds that the requirements of one of the following are met:

(1) The project was included in the regional emissions analysis supporting the most recent conformity determination that reflects the portion of the statewide transportation plan and statewide TIP which are in the nonattainment or maintenance area, and the project's design concept and scope has not changed significantly; or

(2) A new regional emissions analysis including the project and all other regionally significant projects expected in the nonattainment or maintenance area demonstrates that those projects in the statewide transportation plan and statewide TIP which are in the nonattainment or maintenance area would still conform if the project were implemented (consistent with the requirements of §§93.118 and/or 93.119 for projects not from a conforming transportation plan and TIP).

(c) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, in nonattainment and maintenance areas subject to §93.109(e) or (f) for a given pollutant/precursor and NAAQS, no recipient of Federal funds designated under title 23 U.S.C. or the Federal Transit Laws shall adopt or approve a regionally significant highway or transit project, regardless of funding source, unless the recipient finds that the requirements of one of the following are met for that pollutant/precursor and NAAQS:

(1) The project was included in the most recent conformity determination for the transportation plan and TIP and the project's design concept and scope has not changed significantly; or

(2) The project was included in the most recent conformity determination that reflects the portion of the statewide transportation plan and statewide TIP which are in the nonattainment or maintenance area, and the project's design concept and scope has not changed significantly.

[62 FR 43801, Aug. 15, 1997, as amended at 69 FR 40080, July 1, 2004; 73 FR 4441, Jan. 24, 2008; 75 FR 14285, Mar. 24, 2010; 77 FR 14988, Mar. 14, 2012]