This page contains information on the areas of Texas that are
deemed in “nonattainment” or “near
nonattainment” of National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS).
What are Texas' nonattainment areas?
Nonattainment areas are areas that have failed to meet federal
standards for ambient air quality. Near nonattainment areas
currently meet federal standards but are at risk of violating
standards.
Texas meets federal air quality standards with the following
exceptions: (1) carbon monoxide and particulate matter in El Paso;
and (2) eight-hour ground-level ozone in
Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, Dallas–Fort Worth and
Beaumont–Port Arthur. Maintenance areas are areas that were
once designated in nonattainment of federal standards, but which
have since been redesignated in attainment of those standards.
Texas also has three Early Action Compact Areas: Austin, San
Antonio, and Northeast Texas. These are areas that have submitted
EAC plans which on November 17, 2004 were utilized to develop SIP
strategies to reduce emission standards to meet the eight-hour
ozone standard by 2007. Please visit the Early
Action Compact (EAC) Plans Web page for more information on
EACs.
Click on the links below for additional information on each area:
| Nonattainment
Area |
Counties |
Classification |
Attainment Date Required by
EPA |
| Eight-Hour Ozone Nonattainment
Areas |
| Houston-Galveston-Brazoria
(HGB) |
Brazoria
Chambers
Fort Bend
Galveston
Harris
Liberty
Montgomery
Waller
|
Severe |
June 15, 2019 |
| Dallas–Fort
Worth (DFW) |
Collin
Dallas
Denton
Tarrant
Ellis
Johnson
Kaufman
Parker
Rockwall
|
Moderate |
June 15, 2010 |
| Beaumont–Port
Arthur (BPA) |
Hardin
Jefferson
Orange |
Moderate |
June 15, 2010 |
| Ozone Early Action Compact (EAC)
Areas |
| Austin–San
Marcos (AUS) |
Travis
Williamson
Bastrop
Hays
Caldwell |
Attainment |
December 31, 2007 |
| San
Antonio (SA) |
Bexar
Comal
Guadalupe
Wilson |
Attainment |
December 31, 2007 |
| Northeast
Texas (NET) |
Rusk
Smith
Upshur
Gregg
Harrison |
Attainment |
December 31, 2007 |
| Carbon Monoxide (CO) Nonattainment
Areas |
| El
Paso (ELP) |
El Paso |
Moderate |
December 31, 1995 |
| Particulate Matter 10 (PM10) Nonattainment Areas |
| El
Paso (ELP) |
El Paso |
Moderate |
December 31, 1994 |
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Map of Texas’ Nonattainment and Near Nonattainment
Areas
Click on the map for more information about each area.
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What about the PM2.5 standard?
In 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised
the NAAQS for PM2.5. Based on monitoring data from 2004
to 2006, all areas in Texas showed attainment for this standard. On
December 18, 2007, the Governor of Texas sent a
letter to the EPA recommending that all areas of Texas be
designated attainment for the PM2.5 standard of less
than or equal to 35 micrograms per cubic meter. The
Governors letter, the commissions resolution, and the supporting
data are provided. For more information regarding PM in Texas,
see TCEQs web page on
Particulate Matter.
The EPA established annual and 24-hour NAAQS for
PM2.5 for the first time in 1997 to address data
indicating that these small particles, which can penetrate more
deeply into the lung, may pose greater health risks than larger
particles. Based on monitoring data from 2000 to 2002, all areas in
Texas showed attainment for this standard. On February 13, 2004,
the Governor of Texas sent a
letter to the EPA recommending that all areas of Texas be
designated attainment for the PM2.5 standard. The EPA
did not designate any region of Texas in nonattainment for this
standard. For more information on this standard, see the EPA’s
Web page on PM2.5 NAAQS
Implementation 
.
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