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Maryland Clean Cars Program
In early 2007, a bill was introduced in the Maryland General Assembly to reduce emissions from motor vehicles. The legislation passed both houses and Governor Martin O’Malley signed the Maryland Clean Cars Act into law on April 24, 2007. On November 19, 2007, the Clean Cars Act was adopted into Maryland regulations.
The Maryland Clean Cars Program adopts California’s stricter vehicle emission standards. These standards will become effective in Maryland for model year 2011 vehicles, significantly reducing a number of emissions including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The VOC reduction is expected to be 3.4 tons/days greater than the Federal standards and the NOx reduction is expected to be 2.9 tons/day greater than the Federal Tier 2 standards. VOCs and NOx emissions cause Maryland’s ozone problems.
Currently, the Clean Cars Program represents the only program that directly regulates carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Transportation is the fastest-growing source of CO2 in the U.S. and CO2 is the most prevalent GHG. In Maryland, approximately one third of CO2 emissions are emitted from cars.
The federal Clean Air Act gave California the unique authority among states to prescribe vehicle emission standards. This allows California to set emissions standards as long as they are more stringent than the federal standards. Section 177 of the Clean Air Act allows states to adopt either the federal emissions standards or California’s emissions standards. By adopting California’s standards, Maryland joined a growing number of states, currently at 15 (including California), committed to reducing the pollution from motor vehicles. When the Federal EPA grants a waiver for California’s emission standards, the 15 states can begin implementing the program.
By adopting more stringent standards, these states, representing approximately 45% of the vehicles in the country, can make a significant reduction in both localized pollution and greenhouse gases. In fact, Maryland is expected to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 4.1 million metric tons (in CO2 equivalent) over the newest federal standards adopted in 2007.
For more information on Maryland's Clean Car Program, please refer to the following resources:
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