On Monday, your Chamber submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting the agency exercise its broad authority to designate Bexar County in "attainment/unclassifiable" based on its history of complying with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) requirements, mitigating factors in the current measurement of Bexar County's ozone levels, and the wellsupported projections of Bexar County's imminent compliance with the 2015 NAAQS.
The EPA issued a notice of availability and public comment period last month, giving communities the opportunity to express their thoughts on the agency’s response to the designation recommendation from Texas for the San Antonio Area for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Avoiding a non-attainment designation has been a top priority for the Chamber over the past two years. “It would be a sad state of affairs if in 2018 – the 300th anniversary of the founding of San Antonio – our city were saddled with a burdensome and unwarranted regulatory intervention that could set San Antonio back decades,” said Brandon Seale, 2018 Energy and Sustainability Committee Chair and President of Howard Energy México.
During the past two SA to DC trips, our members had several successful meetings with key legislators and the EPA to discuss the importance of Bexar County remaining in attainment. Last May, the Chamber submitted a letter to Mr. Robert Lingard, Policy Advisor for the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards urging the agency to consider the entire range of implementation options under the Clean Air Act.
In January, the City of San Antonio received notification from the EPA as to whether Bexar County would be designated a nonattainment community, an area considered to have air quality worse than the NAAQS, as defined in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970. On October 1, 2015, the EPA lowered the 8-hour ozone standard from 0.075 parts per million (ppm) to 0.070 ppm. The change in air quality standard meant that San Antonio and the surrounding region was sure to make the list. However, as per the letter from the EPA, San Antonio will remain in attainment status for now until final decisions are made early this spring.
The EPA used air quality data from 2014-2016 to make its initial designations in the letter and requested Governor Abbott submit 2017 Air quality data to the EPA by a February 28, 2018 deadline in order to make its final decisions. In March, the EPA sent a letter to Governor Abbott indicating intent to designate, “at best”, parts of Bexar “unclassifiable” and gives 60 days for additional info to support “Attainment” classification.
The San Antonio-New Braunfels MSA remains the only region in the country without a clear Clean Air Act designation. In addition, the San Antonio – New Braunfels MSA has a long history of being proactive in limiting ozone pollution without being subject to federal regulations associated with nonattainment. A number of local voluntary initiatives have been implemented, frequently through public-private partnerships, which have successfully reduced ozone levels throughout the region despite a population increase.
A nonattainment designation would be a burden on business development and could deter new businesses from locating to San Antonio all together. Such a designation would also affect transportation projects and federal highway funding and require new or expanding manufacturers to enact tougher air pollution controls.
Your Chamber will continue to support Bexar County and the City’s efforts in reducing emissions and improving air quality in San Antonio and the surrounding areas. We will continue to engage our members to identify low-cost, innovative ways to help reduce traffic congestion and pollution. Final ozone designations will be made July 17, 2018.
To learn more about the impact of a non-attainment designation and voluntary steps the business community has taken to reduce ozone levels, check out our Energy and Sustainability Committee Chair and President of Howard Energy Mexico’s story on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/worst-possible-300th-birthday-present-brandon-seale/
