Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) - Baltimore Ozone Nonattainment Area
The Baltimore ozone nonattainment area includes the Maryland counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Carroll, Harford, and Howard. This region is designated as Serious nonattainment under the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS.
Under the federal nonattainment New Source Review (NSR) program, new or modified major stationary sources of ozone precursors—nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC)—must obtain Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs) to offset proposed increases in emissions. For a Serious nonattainment classification, the required offset ratio is 1.2 to 1. For example, a facility proposing to emit 100 tons per year (tpy) of NOx would need to secure 120 tpy of NOx ERCs.
| Pollutant | New Major Source Emission Rates | Major Modification to existing Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | ≥50 tons/year | ≥25 tons/year |
| Volatile Organic compounds (VOC) | ≥50 tons/year | ≥25 tons/year |
| Particulate Matter (PM10) | ||
| Sulfur Oxides (SOx) |
Facilities that were emitting NOx, VOC, PM10 or SOx may be eligible to generate Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs) with a permanent reduction of those emissions generating from a shutdown or installation of control technology or process change.
If your company has a new project that exceeds thresholds or had a facility with permanent reduction of emissions at any level, please reach out to see how Emissions Experts can assist.