[19980610]97-902ENR_Air Quality and Transportation Enhancement Provisions in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.pdf

Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS Web97-902 ENRUpdated June 10, 1998Air Quality and Transportation EnhancementProvisions in the Intermodal SurfaceTransportation Efficiency Act of 1991David M. BeardenEnvironmental Information AnalystEnvironment and Natural Resources Policy DivisionSummaryFederal funding to assist states in addressing the environmental impacts of surfacetransportation is a major issue for the second session of the 105 Congress. ThethIntermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 (P.L. 102-240)authorized a total of $155 billion for transportation projects from FY1992 to FY1997.Of this amount, it reserved $6 billion for the Congestion Mitigation and Air QualityProgram (CMAQ) to assist states in complying with federal air quality standards byfunding transportation projects that lower emissions, and it set aside $2.4 billion fortransportation enhancements that are environmentally related. Funding authorized underISTEA expired on September 30, 1997. The Surface Transportation Extension Act of1997 (P.L. 105-130) provided interim funding through May 1, 1998, while Congressworked on a multi