Marylanders can’t wait for healthy air
The Moore administration must finalize Clean Heat Rules for home heating equipment to deliver healthier air for all while reducing energy costs.
Millions of Maryland residents live with unhealthy air. Baltimore’s air pollution in particular has consistently violated federal air quality standards under the Clean Air Act. Fossil fuel heating equipment is a major driver of this pollution – costing Marylanders $1.3 billion in health impacts annually.
Healthier communities are within reach. Governor Wes Moore and his Department of the Environment have the opportunity to promote healthier air, stabilize energy bills, and save lives by advancing Clean Heat Rules to help residents upgrade to clean and efficient home heating equipment. When combined with reforms already underway, these rules can clean up our air and deliver healthier, more affordable home heating.
THE PROBLEM
Pollution from fossil fuel furnaces, boilers, and water heaters in Maryland generates:
as much smog-forming NOx pollution as all the state’s power plants combined
billion in health costs each year
premature deaths and 3,500 asthma attacks in 2017 alone
People of Color in Maryland are exposed to 60% more pollution from methane gas furnaces than white Marylanders.
THE solution
Clean Heat Rules for Maryland
Setting Clean Heat Rules for space and water heating equipment can protect public health while also lowering household energy bills.
