The San Antonio area could soon face stricter air quality measures.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality expects that the Environmental Protection Agency will reclassify Bexar County's ozone nonattainment from marginal to moderate, saying the area has not improved ozone conditions over the past few years.
The EPA says ozone can be good when found in the stratosphere, but not when it reaches ground levels.
“Smelling, looking, seeing the smog is one thing. But, also if you have any type of respiratory illness, whether it be asthma, allergy issues or anything more severe...this will definitely present more challenges,” said Adelita Cantu, an associate professor of nursing at UT Health San Antonio, who added she has some concern with the recent findings.
According to a presentation to the EPA last month, the TCEQ says Bexar County's ozone nonattainment exceeds the 70-parts-per-billion standards. San Antonio values measured at 72 parts per billion in 2020.
Wendell Hardin, the city's ozone attainment program manager, says the city has tried to achieve its goals as the EPA standards change.
“It seems every time we get really within the range of qualifying with ozone attainment, all of a sudden it goes to a lower bar. Now it's affecting everybody nationwide," Hardin says.
Hardin says it's a challenge each time due to the city's growth in industry and traffic areas.
According to a TCEQ spokesperson, the reclassification could take place in early 2022.
TCEQ says the state would be required to submit an attainment demonstration plan revision to the EPA. That could mean new requirements like vehicle emission inspections.
Similar inspections take place in counties within the Austin, Dallas, Houston and El Paso metro areas.
Once the change takes place, Hardin says the county would have four years in order to implement the plan, but he's not sure how quickly that change could be made.
He says their department works to inform their community about the ozone and its impact on Bexar County residents.
"It still comes down to an issue of what can I do as an individual because it's really a change in behavior that needs to happen at those levels," Hardin says.
He says all of the area's large corporations are committed to monitoring its yearly emissions, adding they want to target the smaller patterns of where ozone activity is occurring.
"Make sure you look at the overall respiratory health of your family. If you've got a child with asthma, a senior with COPD, you have to make sure you're aware of that," Hardin says.
The TCEQ says it is encouraging citizens to keep our air and water clean, and has tips on how you can do so on its website.
Cantu says simple things like turning a car off when parked instead of leaving it in idle is one simple everyday habit people can grow accustomed to to make an impact.