The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decreased the annual national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM) in February from 12 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) to 9 µg/m3. At least one county in the region is not currently meeting the new standard, but the region already is taking action to reduce the pollutant.
The only PM regulatory monitors in the region are in Travis County, and they have recorded between 9.1 and 10.3 µg/m3 PMs during the last decade a half, making it unlikely that the county’s levels will drop quickly enough for the county to remain in attainment of the NAAQS. It also is unknown if the other counties in the metropolitan statistical area — Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, and Williamson — will share Travis County’s attainment status or if they will be considered separately. While CAPCOG’s Air Quality Program and it’s Central Texas Clean Air Coalitions have focused on ground level ozone for 20 plus years, they began to combat PM pollution in 2021 when local governments adopted measures to start reducing the pollutant and CAPCOG received two EPA grants to monitor PM levels with eight new air quality monitors.
The PM monitors started collecting data in January and will provide a better understanding of how PM is created and travels throughout the region allowing local governments to target solutions. CAPCOG’s ground-level ozone history also could benefit a quick return to compliance as many of the reduction efforts are similar, such as incentivizing new technologies that are cleaner, adopting EVs, constructing more energy efficiency, and reducing vehicle and equipment engine runtimes. Residents can help reduce the pollution by decreasing drive time, ensuring vehicle and lawn equipment run properly or switching to electric equipment.
Go to AirCentralTexas.org to learn more about improving air quality.
