State of New Jersey 

Department of Environmental Protection 

State Implementation Plan (SIP) 

For Regional Haze 

Proposal 

Appendix B: Overview of MANE-VU 

Roles and Responsibilities 

September 5, 2008 
2

Appendix B 

Overview of MANE-VU’s Roles and Responsibilities 

The Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Visibility Union (MANE-VU) was formed by the Mid-Atlantic and 

Northeastern states, tribes, and federal agencies to coordinate regional haze planning activities 

for the region. 

MANE-VU was formed to encourage a coordinated approach to meeting the requirements of the 

USEPA's Regional Haze Rules and reducing visibility impairment in major national parks and 

wilderness areas in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region. MANE-VU provides technical 

assessments and assistance to its members, evaluates linkages to other regional air pollution 

issues, provides a forum for discussion, and encourages coordinated actions. MANE-VU also 

facilitates coordination with other regions. 

Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Visibility Union Members* 

(MANE-VU) 

Connecticut Pennsylvania 

Delaware Penobscot Nation 

District of Columbia Rhode Island 

Maine St. Regis Mohawk Tribe 

Maryland Vermont 

Massachusetts U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

New Hampshire U.S. National Park Service 

New Jersey U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

New York U.S. Forest Service 

*The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. 

Forest Service are non-voting members. 

MANE-VU's structure includes a board comprised of State and Tribal 

Commissioners/Secretaries, Air Program Directors and two committees comprised of agency 

personnel: a Technical Support Committee to assess the nature of regional haze, the sources that 

contribute to regional haze and the technical tools that states will use to develop their programs 

and a Communications Committee to develop outreach messages and approaches. 

The Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Visibility Union’s (MANE-VU) work is managed by the Ozone 

Transport Commission (OTC) and carried out by the OTC, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air 

Management Association (MARAMA) and the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use 

Management (NESCAUM). The member states along with federal agencies and professional 

staff from OTC, MARAMA and NESCAUM are also members of the various committees and 

workgroups. 
3

The following are highlights of many of the ways MANE-VU has set about to cooperatively 

address regional haze within its member states and tribes. 

• Budget Prioritization: MANE-VU helped establish the “Albany Group” which assists 

MARAMA, OTC and NESCAUM staff in developing budget priorities, project rankings, 

and the eventual federal grant requests. 

• Issue Coordination: MANE-VU established a set conference call and meeting schedule 

for each of its Committees and Workgroups. In addition, its Air Directors regularly 

discussed pertinent issues. 

• SIP Policy and Planning: MANE-VU initiated a process to track the key milestones 

needed for SIP development and to jointly develop standard language and technical 

support documents for this SIP. 

• Materials Distribution: To educate its staff and members MANE-VU included technical 

presentations at the end of the conference calls. Presentations on haze airplane flights, 

BART work, inventory topics, etc were an effective education and coordination tool. 

• Routine Operations: MANE-VU established routine operations such to address the 

following topics: budget, grant deliverables/ due-dates, workgroup meetings, inter-RPO 

feedback, haze rule development, etc. 

• Consultation among MANE-VU states, and with Midwest RPO and VISTAS regarding 

reasonable measures. 

Representation on these MANE-VU Committees is provided by all member States.