* 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 Branch
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
title
Informational Hearing - Air Pollution From Truck Traffic
FOR the purpose of inviting representatives from the American Lung Association, ESP, the Department of Transportation, and the Health Department to appear before the Council to discuss trends in truck traffic through Baltimore, the implications of those trends for the health of Baltimore's citizens, and ways for the City to combat the negative health impacts of vehicle emissions.
body
Recitals
Baltimore's Port and transportation network is one of the main engines that drives the region's economy. Its recent success and growth has undoubtedly brought more jobs and commerce to the City. However, greater cargo volumes also mean greater numbers of trucks passing through Baltimore's neighborhoods. As the Port expands its berths, and the economy slowly recovers, this trend is likely to continue and grow in the future.
Increased truck traffic can be problematic for the City because it also tends to bring increased air pollution along with it. The nitrous oxides and volatile organic chemicals released by internal combustion engines raise smog levels and combine to form ground level ozone that can be dangerous to human health. According to the American Lung Association(ALA), more than half of all of these two ozone building blocks released into the atmosphere comes from motor vehicle emissions.
Older and inefficient trucks rank as disproportionately large emitters, so more trucks means more emissions and consequentially more ground level ozone that contributes to thousands of deaths nationally every year. This ozone is especially harmful for the most vulnerable of our fellow citizens - the elderly, infants, and young children.
In Maryland, the Maryland branch of the American Lung Association is a leading advocate of solutions to the problems posed by air pollution. One of these solutions has been a stepped up MVA vehicle emissions inspection program managed by Environmental Systems Products (ESP).
Together the ALA and ESP, the latter based in Baltimore, are great resources for learning about the dangers that increased truck traffic can pose to our air quality as well as steps that can be taken to combat these dangers. In order to better understand this significant issue for Baltimore's health, it is important that the City Council, and the City as a whole, take advantage of the knowledge available from these local resources.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the Council invites representatives from the American Lung Association, ESP, the Department of Transportation, and the Health Department to appear before the Council to discuss trends in truck traffic through Baltimore, the implications of those trends for the health of Baltimore's citizens, and ways for the City to combat the negative health impacts of vehicle emissions.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the Maryland Regional Executive Director of the American Lung Association, the head of the Maryland offices of ESP, the Health Commissioner, the Director of Transportation, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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