The American Lung Association again slapped Maryland?s air with a failing grade in its annual State of the Air report, naming Baltimore City and Anne Arundel and Harford counties among the dirtiest places to live in America.
In the report, released Thursday, Baltimore City ranked 16th for its high volume of short-term particles or soot. Anne Arundel and Harford counties had the 20th and 21st most ozone-polluted air.
But state officials say Maryland?s air quality is getting better.
Tad Aburn, air director of the Maryland Department of Environment, said the number of “bad air” days in Anne Arundel and Harford counties has been reduced by more than 50 percent since the mid-1990s.
The report comes on the heels of recent state initiatives to improve air quality: Gov. Robert Ehrlich announced he would put 10 new hybrid diesel-electric buses in Baltimore City this spring and recently passed the Healthy Air Act, which will regulate emissions from the state?s coal-fired power plants.
Stephen Peregoy, president of the American Lung Association of Maryland, praised the efforts.
“I want people to recognize today that we still have a significant, serious air quality problem, but there are so many things that have been done in the last year. We are making tremendous strides in addressing the air quality,” he said.
Baltimore City and Harford and Anne Arundel counties consistently have ranked high in the annual report.
Experts say bad geography is the main reason Harford and Anne Arundel counties are always at the top of the chart. The Baltimore region is covered most days with a regional cloud of ozone that comes from local emissions and emissions from the Ohio River Valley. Ground-level winds carry vehicle emissions from southwest to northeast, so emissions from Baltimore City get blown to Harford County and emissions from Washington, D.C. get carried to Anne Arundel County.
“First they get the regional load, and then they get the extra load from the cities,” Aburn said.
Aburn said Maryland is working with a coalition of 12 other states to implement regional controls on power plants, smokestacks, automobiles and even perfume sprays. Experts agree that regional restrictions are the most efficient way to clean up Maryland?s air.
Locally, Harford and Anne Arundel counties also have been making strides to improve their air. Harford County has purchased hybrid vehicles; Anne Arundel County is exploring using biodiesel in the county?s fleet trucks.
“We have got a lot of things happening. ? The future looks extremely good,” Peregoy said.
