Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee (MWAQC) Tom Dernoga, Chair, MWAQC Member, 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 , 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 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 Measures ControlContingency 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

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 ( Washington Region Data) Number of Exceedance Days 1-Hour Exceedance8-Hour Exceedance

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 MWAQC meeting schedule MWAQC materials Air Quality Forecast