When news is important, where you get the news is also important.

Annapolis, Maryland — More than 20 months since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the virus on the environment has shed light on the existing inequalities in Maryland, while also providing a blueprint for the future.

Here are some environmental highlights of the Maryland pandemic:

Marylanders reconnect with the outdoors

When Governor Larry Hogan made a stay-at-home order at the beginning of the pandemic, many Marylanders turned to the outdoors in record numbers.

"I think people recognized the health benefits and treatments of outdoor activities early on," Maryland State Environment Minister Ben Grubbles said in an interview with the Capital News Agency.

According to data from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland State Parks welcomed approximately 21.5 million visitors in 2020, a 45% increase from 2019.

"We are increasingly aware that outdoor activities are important to our health. Outdoor activities are important to our mental health. Deborah Landau, conservation ecologist at The Nature Conservancy, told the Capital News Agency .

Landau pointed out that in the past year and a half, she has been hiking on the trails in Maryland and the traffic has increased significantly.

Reconnecting with nature may give Marylanders a whole new understanding of the environmental challenges facing Maryland, as populous coastal cities such as Annapolis continue to be affected by severe flooding.

"I hope it turns out that more people will contact their legislators and say,'Hey, you need to protect more open space for us'... so they can go to more places safely," Landau said.

Increase in hospital medical waste

As hospitals deal with the surge in patients during the peak of the pandemic, there are more medical supplies recycled.

The increase in the use of disposable masks has become a major environmental challenge.

According to research conducted by OceansAsia, a non-profit marine advocacy organization, more than 1.5 billion masks will flow into the ocean in 2020.

In addition to masks, other disposable medical supplies such as syringes also affect the waste stream.

Sacoby Wilson, an environmental health scientist and associate professor at the Institute of Applied Environmental Health at the University of Maryland, told the Capital News Agency in an interview: "High-strength substances have been introduced into the waste stream."

According to data from the Maryland Department of Health, as of November 17, 51,502 people in Maryland have been hospitalized due to COVID-19.

Maryland has also injected nearly 9 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and each dose requires a new syringe.

"We have a medical waste incinerator in Baltimore," Wilson said. "So think about the amount of medical waste that has been generated, and the fact that it is now possible that virus-related materials have been incinerated."

However, Trey Krell, vice president of the Maryland Biomedical Waste Services Division, said that throughout the pandemic, the treatment of medical waste is a bit like a roller coaster.

Creel said that although he sometimes noticed a slight increase in medical waste, this increase was often offset by the lack of elective surgery in hospitals.

Megan Ratshaw, associate scientist of environmental health and engineering at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, said that Maryland is likely to suffer more air pollution due to the increase in medical waste incineration.

Wilson said that because low-income communities and communities of color tend to bear the brunt, the increase in waste streams also raises environmental justice issues.

Reducing emissions provides a vision for the future

One of the benefits of the 2020 public health crisis and economic shutdown is reduced emissions.

According to air quality data from the Maryland Department of Environment, as the increase in telecommuting has led to fewer cars on the road, air pollution in Maryland has dropped significantly.

From about mid-February to late May 2020, nitric oxide has been reduced by approximately 15%, and carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have been reduced by 30% each.

Russell Dickerson, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Maryland, said that despite a sharp drop last year, emissions levels will almost return to pre-pandemic levels in 2021.

"In the early days, it was like an accidental experiment. We obtained excellent data through our department, our air monitors and our meteorologists, and through the University of Maryland, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA." Grubulls said.

According to data from the Maryland Department of Transportation, as of October 25, the weekly traffic volume across the state was still 6.5% below 2019 levels.

However, as of October 25, the weekly trucking volume across the state has increased by 13% compared to 2019 levels, which may be due to the increase in deliveries as consumers continue to shop online during the pandemic.

Grumbles said he hopes that the data collected during the pandemic will provide a framework for long-term emissions reductions.

"We really need to pay attention to the zero-emission vehicles of the future," he said.

Hogan previously announced plans to expand I-495 and I-270 through public-private partnerships, and promote the statewide increase in the use of electric vehicles, buses and trucks.

In addition to increasing the number of zero-emission vehicles on the road, another policy goal suggested by Grumbles is to completely limit the number of cars.

Grumbles said that many companies can view telecommuting as a permanent option for their employees, and improving broadband Internet access across the state could be a tool for this change.

"I think a lot of people are aware that they might not need multiple cars," Landau said.

The Hogan administration’s push to reduce vehicle emissions comes at a time when Congress passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package on November 5th, including nearly $8 billion for Maryland to improve its transportation systems, railroads, clean water systems, and roads. , Bridges and tunnels.

Wilson said that as the construction of the Purple Line light rail across Montgomery and Prince George Counties continues, the accessibility of public transportation also provides opportunities to reduce emissions in Maryland.

Wilson believes that such investments in public transportation should be given priority.

Hogan believes that the plan to expand the highway in Maryland through a private partnership is a model for improving infrastructure without increasing taxes.

"That's not the future," Wilson said. "That's the past."

This article was originally published on CNSMaryland.org on Thursday, November 18, 2021.

Join our email list! Email subscribers may receive subscriber-only discounts, news and tips. We send an email every week! Thanks!

Example: Yes, I want to receive emails from the Southern Maryland Chronicle. (You can unsubscribe at any time)

The Southern Maryland Chronicle (SoMDC) is SoMD's all-digital news source. We cover all areas of Charles, Calvert, and Saint Mary counties; and the southern part of Anne Arundel and Prince George counties. SoMDC covers all aspects of the SoMD area and will continue to develop with the community. SoMDC thanks the community for all the feedback, as well as tips, pictures, articles and support.