Williams, Warner, and Ehrlich Fourth Regional Summit
Interstate Air Quality Council
May 31, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2005

CONTACT: VINCE MORRIS 202-727-6846 SHARON GANG 202-727-9811 HENRY FAWELL (Governor Ehrlich) 410-974-2316 ELLEN QUALLS (Governor Warner) 804-225-3048

MAYOR WILLIAMS, GOVERNOR WARNER AND GOVERNOR EHRLICH HOLD FOURTH REGIONAL SUMMIT

Discussions Include Air Quality, Homeland Security, Tourism, Base Closures

(Washington, DC) At a press conference following their fourth regional summit, Mayor Anthony A. Williams, Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. and Virginia Governor Mark R. Warner signed a Memorandum of Understanding creating the Interstate Air Quality Council (IAQC).

The IAQC will help to provide streamlined planning and greater air quality benefits for the region. The Council, made up of the six secretaries of the Environment and Transportation from the three jurisdictions, will review the regional air quality planning process in the region to ensure that the states and the District meet their shared goals of improved air quality, including compliance with the new federal stands for ozone and fine particulates, and efficient transportation. 

"At our fourth regional meeting, we found major areas of commonality - the agreement we signed on air quality will go a long way to addressing a significant issue that spans jurisdictions," said Mayor Williams. "Working together as a region is critical as we seek to improve our shared resources -- our air, our water and our public lands."

"Our air is the cleanest it has been in 20 years and we are committed to continuing that trend," said Governor Ehrlich. "Despite this progress, our work is not done. This council will provide greater responsibility and accountability for meeting our regional air quality goals."

"We have been able to work together to solve real world problems," said Governor Warner. "This Council will allow us to address the connected issues of childhood asthma in the District of Columbia, regional air quality, and traffic congestion."

Mayor Williams and Governors Ehrlich and Warner also discussed homeland security, including the regional notification system, and how the Defense Department's closure and relocation of military facilities will affect the region. Other topics discussed included gang activity, traffic, Metro funding and baseball.

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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

INTERSTATE AIR QUALITY COUNCIL
(Approved 11/29/04)

WHEREAS, the District of Columbia, the State of Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia are united in their commitment to ensuring the public health through improved air quality in the greater Washington area; and,

WHEREAS, the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, and its associated regulations, vest ultimate responsibility for air quality with the Mayor of the District of Columbia, and the Governors of the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia; and,

WHEREAS, Section 174 of the Clean Air Act, and its associated regulations, require both interstate cooperation and the formal participation of local elected officials in air quality planning and implementation; and,

WHEREAS, in 1991 and 1992, the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia certified the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee (hereinafter referred to as "MWAQC"), comprised of local elected officials and state air quality and transportation officials, as the body to perform regional air quality planning and related actions under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990; and,

WHEREAS, the District of Columbia, the State of Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia, in consultation with and reliance on MWAQC, have achieved significant improvements in regional air quality and compliance with the one-hour standard for ground-level ozone; and,

WHEREAS, the District of Columbia, the State of Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia are committed to further improvements in regional air quality and full compliance with current and future air quality regulations; and,

WHEREAS, improving regional air quality and achieving full compliance with current and future air quality regulations will require greater and more direct planning, deliberation, coordination, and execution among the District of Columbia, the State of Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia, particularly in addressing the issues of interstate transport of air pollutants, and providing a transparent, efficient, and technically sound process for improving regional air quality;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor of the District of Columbia, the Governor of the State of Maryland, and the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, as Chief Executives of these. jurisdictions and signatories to this Memorandum of Understanding, do hereby agree to the following:

1. To further improve air quality in the greater Washington area through the creation of a cabinet-level Interstate Air Quality Council (hereinafter referred to as the "Council"), consisting of the chief environmental appointees of the Chief Executives and the chief transportation appointees of the Chief Executives.

2. To require that the Council be chaired, on a rotating basis, by one of the chief environmental appointees.

3. To require that the Council provide general oversight and policy guidance to the regional air quality planning process, in collaboration with MWAQC, and that such oversight and guidance is a key element in the continued certification of MWAQC, implementing Section 174 of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments.

4. To require that the Council meet at least twice yearly, in person or through one or more publicly accessible electronic media, to propose schedules for air quality plan development, to identify key issues and strategies, to identify major control strategy efforts, to propose mobile source emission budgets, or to transmit such other proposals as may be necessary to meet the requirements and goals of the Clean Air Act. All such transmittals shall form a part of the MWAQC work program and MWAQC shall give great weight to the transmittals of the Council.

5. To require that the Council receive any proposed air quality plans or parts thereof from MWAQC to assist the Governors and Mayor in meeting their statutory responsibilities under the Clean Air Act.

6. To ensure that the recommendations of the Council are submitted to the Governors and Mayor, who are ultimately responsible for submitting State Implementation Plans under the Clean Air Act.

7. To ensure that the Council and MWAQC will jointly issue an annual report on the progress of their air quality efforts in the greater Washington area.

8. To work with MWAQC in accordance with Section 174 of the Clean Air Act and to continue the strong, collaborative tradition of regional air quality planning in the Greater Washington area, including significant public participation and the development of innovative, non-regulatory initiatives that improve air quality.

9. To undertake such other actions as may be necessary to improve regional air quality, to ensure that the costs and benefits of air quality improvements are shared equitably among the three jurisdictions, to ensure the integrity and the technical quality of the air quality planning process, to enhance coordination between and among transportation and air quality interests, and to provide greater transparency and public accessibility in the air quality planning process.

Mayor, District of Columbia
Governor, State of Maryland
Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia

Emission Reductions
Washington, DC Nonattainment Area

VOC Reduction - 1990 to 2005 = 66%
NOx Reduction - 1990 to 2005 = 44%

All values = tons per day
Source: Mid-Course Review Report for the 1-Hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Ground Level Ozone. MWCOG, 2005. 

Days Exceeding the 1-Hour Ozone Standard
Washington, DC Nonattainment Area

Source: Mid-Course Review Report for the 1-Hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Ground Level Ozone. MWCOG, 2005. 

Areas Violating the 1-Hour Ozone Standard
Washington, DC Nonattainment Area

Source: Mid-Course Review Report for the 1-Hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Ground Level Ozone. MWCOG, 2005. 

Air Quality: Mobile Source Emissions, 1990 to 2030
Based on the Long-Range Transportation Plan for the National Capital Region, Adopted 2003

Regional Air Quality Plan Development

Regional Air Quality Plan Development

*Initiates process