Regional leaders are grappling with the possibility of fines for private companies that could be contributing to consistently poor air quality throughout North Texas.
During a meeting of the Regional Transportation council, leaders heard details of the 2024 air quality report on ozone level pollution. The report shows that the region’s average level of ozone exceeded federal standards set in 2015.
According to staff at the North Central Texas Council of Governments, most of the region has been considered in “nonattainment” for ozone pollution set by the Environmental Protection Agency for several years, much of it caused by growing traffic congestion and heavy polluting industries.
“This is a critical issue,” said transportation director Michael Morris. “Private sector companies will soon be fined for noncompliance of this particular standard, and the state needs to get out in front of their responsibility with regard to that.”
As a result of noncompliance, leaders have been getting letters from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality warning of fines for private businesses for being out of compliance with air quality standards. Councilmembers didn't indicate which businesses would be fined.
Jenny Narvaez, program manager for air quality at NCTCOG, told the council that the highest levels of ozone pollution were concentrated in and around northwest Tarrant County.
Tarrant County’s Precinct 4 commissioner Manny Ramirez, who represents the area, said the state needs to take greater responsibility to provide guidance.
“If there are control measures that the state recommends local governments and businesses take, they've got to publish that, and it's got to be something feasible and actionable," Ramirez said. "But I think the exercise of just, you know, saying we're on a naughty list over and over again, it's not productive."
Morris added that he believes there are some sources of ozone apart from traffic congestion contributing to the quality in the most polluted areas that “may or may not be regulated," such a coal plants outside of the region.
Air quality monitors also reported 52 days when ozone levels exceeded EPA standards, the highest number of days since 2012.
Narvaez said NCTCOG sent a letter to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, signed by RTC chair and Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins, to find and “clarify” contributors to elevated ozone levels and take steps to reduce emissions from traffic.
“Something's happening somewhere that our businesses are about to get fined for, that is going to cause people to move elsewhere, and we're going to lose jobs,” Jenkins said. “So we really need to get on top of this.”
Morris encouraged local leaders to continue communicating with the TCEQ ahead of the region’s 2027 deadline to reach ozone level attainment.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org. You can follow him on X @pabloaarauz.
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