Local governments can combat the Baltimore region’s high air pollution by pursuing funding for projects that would help reduce vehicle emissions.
The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board is accepting applications for vehicle-emission reduction projects and programs to be funded through the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program.
The Maryland Department of Transportation previously authorized the board, the federally recognized organization for transportation planning in the Baltimore region, to award up to $1 million for these projects this year.
“We’re getting a lot of phone calls about it,” said Harvey Bloom, director of transportation planning with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.
“Last year, we received over $2 million in requests for a $1 million program, and we expect to see a similar amount this year.”
Projects this past year included creating a transportation management association in Baltimore City, so officials could work with employers to reduce vehicle emissions through car pools and other initiatives, he said.
Eligible projects include retrofits for school buses, transit buses and heavy-duty diesel trucks, and clean fuel/hybrid transit buses, Bloom said.
“Improving air quality is certainly a top priority for Gov. Martin O’Malley and [State Transportation] Secretary John Porcari. We know the program is in its early stages, and we look forward to very successful measures,” said Erin Henson, spokeswoman for the state Transportation Department.
The grants will cover up to 80 percent for a local project and up to 50 percent of a project that’s being completed through a public/private partnership, officials said.
The program is administered and funded by the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration to allow state and local jurisdictions to meet federal air quality requirements from the Clean Air Act.
Baltimore ranked 29th worst in the nation in air quality with 50 being the worst, according to a recent study by SustainLane Media, which ranked the nation’s 50 most populous cities based on economic, environmental and green/clean technology categories.
SustainLane Media is a media network of individuals and families focused on healthy, sustainable living including local, green-friendly businesses, according to its Web site.
In 2008, the Baltimore region has had good air quality on 107 of 183 reported days, based on the Air Quality Index which measures air pollutants like ground-level ozone and particle matter.
Ten days were deemed to be unhealthy for sensitive groups or for the whole population, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which is responsible for the index.
The deadline for submitting applications is Nov. 4. The winning applicants will be notified in early 2009.
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