Maryland’s Innovative Measures State Implementation Plan

2004 EPA Air Innovations Conference

Brian J. Hug – Chief, Air Quality Policy and Planning Division

410-537-4125 bhug@mde.state.md.us

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Maryland’s Air Quality

• Ozone levels in Maryland are very high

• Fine particulate levels are high

• Air pollution contributes significantly to Bay pollution

• Regional haze and air toxics are also significant air pollution problems in Maryland

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Maryland’s Innovative Measures SIP

• A very flexible SIP that:– Bundles together several land use projects and other

innovations that generate air quality benefits– Establishes conservative emission reductions targets for the

short term and a larger and more aggressive target in the long term (these projects take time to develop)

– No pressure on individual programs – pressure only on the bundle itself

• Builds off of EPA’s land-use and voluntary measures guidance

• Also incorporates trading concepts to address uncertainty and to create incentives

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The “Bundle”• Land Use Initiatives

– Infill development in Baltimore City

– TOD– Mixed Use Development

• Transportation Measures– Maryland Commuter Tax Credit

Initiative– Alternatively Fueled Vehicle

Program– Incident Management Program

• Episodic Controls (Ozone Action Days)

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“The Can Company”

• Brownfield site• Portion of

revitalized waterfront

• Variety of mixed use commercial tenants

• Redeveloped housing nearby

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“Montgomery Park”

• MDE’s new offices• Former Montgomery

Wards warehouse– Now undergoing “green

building” restoration

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Benefits of Smart Infill Development

• Expected reduction of 340,000 – 700,000 VMT per day

• Increased emphasis on transit

• NOx and VOC benefits should exceed .5 tpd in 2005 (higher in 2025)

• Significant reduction on Greenhouse Gas Emissions (especially CO2 – could be over 100 tons per day !)

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Transit Oriented Development

• Multi-use development at the end of the Baltimore Metro Line

• Pedestrian bridge to link offices/retail with metro station

• Improved bike and pedestrian access

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Mixed Use Development

• Just outside of Annapolis in Anne Arundel County

• Redevelopment of central business district

• Mixed use • Proposed bus and

trolley station• Still in planning stage

– lots of controversy

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Transportation Initiatives

• Commuter Tax Credit Program• Incident Management (CHART Program)• Alternative Fuel Vehicle Program

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Episodic Reductions: Ozone Action Days

• Clean Air Partners coordinates a regional ozone education & voluntary action program for Baltimore and Washington

• Effort focuses voluntary reductions from:– Vehicle use– Paint and consumer product

use– Lawn and garden equipment

• Annual and episodic surveys to track progress

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Land Use Credit Tools

• Current tools are relatively new and will be refined with time

• SIP is using a multiple tool/ model approach

• During future analysis new tools and models will be used to further refine the expected emission benefits

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Multi-Pollutant Benefits

• Original initiatives focus on reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT)

• SIP approach could be used for other initiatives or pollutants in the future

• Reducing VMT lowers mobile source emissions across the board– Particulate Matter– Volatile organic compounds (VOC)– Nitrogen oxides (NOx)– Greenhouse Gases– Toxics

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Challenges

• Coordination with other agencies and interested parties

• Connections with transportation planning• Analysis tools/Quantification • Multi-purpose SIP (policy driven)• Changes in Overarching Policy and Timing• 1hr vs 8hr Ozone Standards – where does this

concept fit best? - does this work best to maintain the NAAQ standards as real benefits (to combat continued sprawl) are decades and not years away?