Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee (MWAQC)

Tom Dernoga, Chair, MWAQCMember, Prince George’s County Council

May 12, 2004

Update on Activities

WHAT IS AN MWAQC?

Section 174 CAAA:

In a multi-state nonattainment area, States may jointly undertake

planning procedures involving State air quality agencies, State

transportation agencies, and local elected officials in the affected

area

Background

MWAQC History and Mission

1991-1992, Governors of Maryland and Virginia and the Mayor, District of Columbia, certified the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee to carry out air quality planning for the Washington, DC-MD-VA region

Members of MWAQC

DC

Virginia Maryland

Local Governments

[Counties and Cities]

MWAQC

• EPA reclassified the Washington region as “severe” nonattainment area, Jan. 2003

• Region’s deadline to submit a plan: March 1, 2004

• MWAQC developed plan in two stages, August 2003, first stage March 2004, second stage

Air Quality Plans Submitted

• August 2003 SIP– Contained MOBILE6 emissions budgets– Contained many required pieces but lacked

contingency measures and fee penalty– Many regulations not yet adopted

• March 2004 SIP– Revised MOBILE6 emissions budgets– Included contingency measures– Included almost all adopted regulations– MD SIP lacked required fee penalty

Two-stage Plan (“SIP)

March SIP Identifies All Necessary MeasuresControl Contingency

AIM Coatings

Fuel Containers

Solvent Cleaning

Voluntary Bundle

TCMs Fuel Containers

Mobile Repair &

Refinishing

Consumer Products

Solvent Cleaning

Reductions Credited

•Low-VOC Consumer Products

•Wind Power Purchase

•Gas Can Replacement

• Use of Low-VOC Paint

• Reduce Locomotive Idling

Included, But No Credit Taken

• Alternative Fueled Vehicle Purchase

• Remote Sensing Device

• Diesel Retrofits (School and Transit Buses)

Voluntary Bundle

New and innovative initiatives hold promise for future

Existing Programs

(e.g. Smart Growth, Clean Air Partners)

•Existing Initiatives Available for Expansion

(e.g. Expanded Commuter Choice,Wind Energy Purchase)

•Potential Future Initiatives

(e.g. Parking Management, Diesel Retrofit Tax Credit)

Gold Book Measures

Exceedances of One-Hour Ozone Standard Washington Metropolitan Region, 1993-2003

8

4

6

1

6 67

23

9

3

0

10

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Year

Num

ber o

f Exc

eeda

nce

Day

s

Data show n are the number of days in each year w hen at least one monitor in the region recorded ground-level ozone concentrations above the 1-hour health standard

Next Challenge: Meeting the 8-Hour Ozone Standard

• Washington, DC-MD-VA region is classified as in Moderate nonattainment of the 8-hour standard

• Deadline for meeting the standard is 2010

• Air Quality Plan (“SIP”) due 2007

8-Hour vs. 1-Hour Ozone Exceedances (1993-2003 Washington Region Data)

8

46

1

6 6 7

2 3

9

3

52

20

29

18

29

47

39

10

24

38

7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Nu

mb

er o

f E

xcee

da

nce

Day

s

1-Hour Exceedance 8-Hour Exceedance

MAJOR TRANSPORT PATTERNS

FOR BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON, DC

Arrows indicate the major transport wind directions for key episode days in Baltimore/Washington D.C.

Ozone concentrations along the inflow boundaries of the modeling domain are highest daily maximum observedvalues for the key episode days.

ppb

ppb

ppb

1-hr Ozonestandardis 120 ppb

Regional Ozone Transport - exampleRegional Ozone Transport - example

Meeting the 8-Hour Standard

• Controlling transported pollution will be critical to the region’s ability to meet the new standard

• Federal measures to reduce transported pollution are:– NOx SIP Call (reduce NOx emissions on

power plants in the Midwest and East– Interstate Air Quality Act (proposed rule)

MWAQC Organization

• States propose changes to improve planning for new air quality standards

• MWAQC leadership and States are meeting to discuss improvements

For More Information

http://www.mwcog.org/environment/air/• MWAQC meeting schedule• MWAQC materials• Air Quality Forecast

http://www.air-watch.net

www.cleanairpartners.net