EPA: San Antonio air quality OK for now
By Allie Morris, Austin Bureau
Updated 6:45 pm, Thursday, December 28, 2017
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Photo: Kin Man Hui, Staff / San Antonio Express-News
A view of downtown from the northside of San Antonio on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. The ozone levels in San Antonio's statistics causes 52 premature deaths per year according to a new public health study by New York University and the American Thoracic Society. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News)
lessA view of downtown from the northside of San Antonio on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. The ozone levels in San Antonio's statistics causes 52 premature deaths per year according to a new public health study by New York
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Pedestrians and traffic in downtown on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. The ozone levels in San Antonio's statistics causes 52 premature deaths per year according to a new public health study by New York University and the American Thoracic Society. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News)
lessPedestrians and traffic in downtown on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. The ozone levels in San Antonio's statistics causes 52 premature deaths per year according to a new public health study by New York University and
... more
The ozone levels in San Antonio's statistics causes 52 premature deaths per year according to a new public health study by New York University and the American Thoracic Society. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News)
lessThe ozone levels in San Antonio's statistics causes 52 premature deaths per year according to a new public health study by New York University and the American Thoracic Society. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio
... more
Traffic in the downtown area on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. The ozone levels in San Antonio's statistics causes 52 premature deaths per year according to a new public health study by New York University and the American Thoracic Society. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News)
lessTraffic in the downtown area on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. The ozone levels in San Antonio's statistics causes 52 premature deaths per year according to a new public health study by New York University and the
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A view of downtown from Fredericksburg Road on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. The ozone levels in San Antonio's statistics causes 52 premature deaths per year according to a new public health study by New York University and the American Thoracic Society. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News)
lessA view of downtown from Fredericksburg Road on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. The ozone levels in San Antonio's statistics causes 52 premature deaths per year according to a new public health study by New York
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EPA: San Antonio air quality OK for now
AUSTIN — San Antonio avoided placement for now on a list of Texas regions the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency intends to label as non-compliant with federal ozone standards, a rating that can carry long-term and costly economic implications.
The agency is seeking more up-to-date 2017 data before making final air pollution designations, likely in spring next year, the EPA wrote in a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott on Dec. 22.
The agency did signal, however, it will reclassify counties in the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas as non-compliant with the stricter ozone standards adopted in 2015.
In Bexar County, levels of ozone, a component in smog that irritates the lungs, have steadily decreased from a high of 91 parts per billion in 2004 to 73 ppb this year, according to data from the Alamo Area Council of Governments. Still, the level is slightly higher than the new federal standard of 70 ppb.
Diane Rath, director of AACOG, said it’s good news Bexar County doesn’t appear on the list for now.
“We are very pleased that the EPA is taking additional information and truly analyzing statistics about our unique situation,” she said. “We do have more time to work with them in order to discuss why we should avoid a non-attainment designation.”
Roughly a third of the ozone in the San Antonio region is produced from within the area, with the remainder coming from outside the U.S. and nearby regions, Rath said.
“While the City of San Antonio acknowledges that the EPA has not designated Bexar County in non-attainment at this time, we are committed to continuing our work to ensure that our air quality improves for both public health and economic benefits,” said Doug Melnick, city of San Antonio chief sustainability officer.
amorris@express-news.net
