Air pollution levels in Northern Virginia will increase dramatically by 2030 unless major new restrictions are put in place and driving patterns change, according to a new survey released Wednesday by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

In response to the COG report a local government leader proposed requiring new vehicles sold in Northern Virginia to pass the same strict vehicle emissions standards as California to combat rising air pollution in the Washington region.

If Maryland is able to go ahead with plans to require the tough emissions guidelines, Northern Virginia should be positioned to follow suit, Falls Church City Council Member David Snyder said Wednesday.

Annual carbon dioxide emissions will jump by nearly 40 percent to about 90 million metric tons, COG found.

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Car and truck exhaust is the largest contributor of carbon dioxide pollution in the region and is expected to grow significantly over the next two decades.

The report’s finding that vehicle emissions account for more than 34 percent of the pollution can be used to argue for more aggressive pollution safeguards nationwide and throughout the region, COG members said.

“If you look at all the data for our region ... transportation is the nut to crack,” Snyder said.

The data needs to be refined in the coming months, however, in order to be more accurate and give cities and counties a better idea of their pollution contributions, members said.

Knowing the emission data is critical to formulating a plan for battling air quality concerns, said Nancy Floreen, a Montgomery County Council member and chairwoman of the COG panel on climate change.

COG plans to call on automakers to build vehicles with better gas mileage and is studying other efforts to address pollution from electric power plants.

Any change in the emissions standards for Northern Virginia would have to be approved by the state General Assembly, COG staff said Wednesday.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com