* Warning: This is an unofficial, introductory copy of the bill.
The official copy considered by the City Council is the first reader copy.
Introductory*
City of Baltimore
Council Bill R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Clarke
A Resolution Entitled
A Council Resolution concerning
title
Request for State Action - Require a Rigorous Pollution Control Study and Stronger Nitrogen Oxides Limits for the Wheelabrator Baltimore Incinerator
For the purpose of urging that the Maryland Department of the Environment (“MDE”) require a rigorous analysis relating to the installation of new pollution control technology for nitrogen oxides (“NOx”) at the Wheelabrator Baltimore incinerator; requesting that, following the receipt of this analysis, MDE commence a second rulemaking process and set much stronger NOx pollution limits; and requesting that MDE share the analysis with the Council as soon as possible after receiving it.
body
Recitals
Emissions of nitrogen oxides (“NOx”) contribute to the formation of three pollutants in the ambient (outdoor) air: ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate matter. Each of these pollutants can have adverse effects on human health, including worsening symptoms of asthma in people who already have the condition. Baltimore City has substantially higher rates of asthma hospitalizations and emergency room visits due to asthma than the rest of the State of Maryland.
The Baltimore area, which includes Baltimore City and five additional counties, is designated as a nonattainment area for ground-level ozone by the U.S. EPA, meaning that the area does not meet federal air quality standards for ozone. NOx is the primary pollutant that contributes t...
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