On June 21, the U.S. Senate passed a new Energy Bill which includes language to raise the fuel economy requirements of cars, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles to 35 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2020. Automakers will have to meet this standard, averaged over their entire fleet. The most recent change in the standard for passenger cars occurred in 1989, when it was set at 27.5 mpg. Much more recently, there was a change in the standard for light trucks.

The Senate bill also includes measures to protect the public from price gouging for energy as well as boosting ethanol production to 36 billion gallons a year by 2022. The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to hear this bill as soon as this week.

Click for an article on the bill.

On June 21, EPA announced that they are proposing to lower the federal standards for ozone pollution to a range of 0.07 to 0.075 parts per million (ppm), from the current standard of 0.08 ppm. The idea is that the lower standard would better protect the public's health from harmful effects of this air pollution. The Baltimore region is not attaining the current 0.08 ppm ozone standard, but is in the process of planning for how to reach the standard by the federal deadline of April 2010.

EPA is requesting comments on a range of possible standards from 0.60 to 0.084. EPA will be taking comments for 90 days after publication in the Federal Register. For more information on the proposed standard, visit http://epa.gov/groundlevelozone/actions.html.

Click for basic information on ground level ozone pollution.

Although this year's ozone season got off to a relatively mild start, clouds of smog have made a fair showing in Baltimore region so far this year. As of last week, the region has experienced eight "code orange" days. A "code orange" day is one with an air quality index reading of between 101 and 150 and is defined as being unhealthy for sensitive groups. The Baltimore region saw its first "code red" event of the year on June 8. "Code red, with an air quality index of between 151 and 200, is unhealthy for everyone.

Click to learn more about the region's air quality.

It's not too late! You still have a chance to bring your car in for a free clean car inspection. Stop by any one of the Baltimore area Precision Tune shops and ask for the Clean Cars for Clean Air inspection. A certified automotive technician will perform a complimentary vehicle check-up. This non-invasive inspection will include checking tire pressure, belts, hoses, fluid levels, gas cap fit, and other parts of your vehicle that affect how efficiently it runs.

Click to find a location near you.

A car-sharing service came to Baltimore, through the company Flexcar, in the spring of this year. In just a few months, plans are already being made to increase service. According to a June 21 article in The Sun, Johns Hopkins University, where Flexcar initiated their Baltimore service, is increasing their fleet from four cars in March to eight cars by the middle of July. In addition, Flexcar has signed with the Baltimore City Parking Authority for thirty cars in downtown Baltimore.

What is car-sharing you ask? Car-sharing is a service in which members can go online and rent a car by the hour. Members get a card, and when they sign up for a car, they can just walk up to it at its designated parking space, and pass their card over the car's sensor. Parking spots are reserved for these cars, so they aren't hard to find. All of the cars come with a gas card, so you don't have to pay for gas. For someone who only needs to use a car every once in a while, this may be a preferable alternative to owning a car. Assuming that people who are considering purchasing a car choose to use the car-sharing service instead, the service can be a useful measure for reducing air pollution.

Click for the referenced article.

June 5th marked the ten year anniversary of Clean Air Partners. Local officials from across the Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore region recognized the accomplishments Clean Air Partners has made over its ten year history at an event held at the historic Belair Mansion in Bowie, Maryland.

"Clean Air Partners celebrates the steps we've taken together to improve our region's air quality," said Kimberly Harrison Greer, Chair, Clean Air Partners. "As a group, we have been working toward improving air quality in our region for over 10 years. Our year-round public outreach program, daily Air Alerts, and Air Quality Action Guide, provides the public and the media with the simple steps they need to help reduce the number of poor air quality days in our region and protect their family's heath."

During the event, Clean Air Partners reaffirmed their commitment to clean air, recognized founding members, highlighted improvements made in air quality, and announced new clean air initiatives, which include a countywide employee air quality education program and a new air quality curriculum designed for regional schools.

email: stomlinson@baltometro.org

phone: 410-732-0500

web: http://www.baltometro.org