From the cover
BY MELISSA ENAJE & KELLY SCHAFLER CONTRIBUTIONS BY AUBREY VOGEL
New EPA standards could impact Katy area
Two-minute impact
Tracking emissions
“What makes this particle very dangerous to health is when you inhale the [tiny] particles, it can easily pass through all the protections in your respiratory tract,” Uwak said. A significant amount of air pollution in Harris County stems from petroleum refineries, power plants, chemical plants and manufacturing facilities, according to AAH’s report. Large industrial sources are also the largest contributor of emissions in Fort Bend County, according to 2020 emission data from the TCEQ. The data comes from reports from large, industrial sources and TCEQ-developed emission calculations and studies, the TCEQ spokesperson said. Additionally, the eight-county Houston-Galveston- Brazoria region—which Fort Bend County is part of—did not meet the eight-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards in 2008 and 2015, the spokesperson said. The TCEQ is set to adopt on April 24 the latest state implementation plan and rule revisions to address nonattainment areas. Lewis said more state- and federally regulated air monitors are needed regionally. “When we don’t have air monitors in certain parts of the region, we have blind spots,” Lewis said.
The EPA’s new standards announced Feb. 7 require no more than 9 micrograms per cubic meter level of fine particulate matter—lower than the previous 12 micrograms. The pollutant is emitted by power plants, vehicles and industrial facilities. Based on EPA air quality data spanning 2020-22, Harris County air was measured to have roughly 11.4 micrograms per cubic meter annually. However, the TCEQ and EPA don’t have air monitors in Fort Bend County, so similar particulate information isn’t available, a TCEQ spokesperson said in an email. In a 2023 health disparities annual report released by the Harris County Public Health department, officials said the conditions of where people live and work can have significant effects on their health and overall quality of life. Air pollution also impacts residents’ health care costs, according to researchers with Air Alliance Houston. In AAH’s December 2023 report, researchers said emissions from 47 industrial facilities in eastern Harris County cost the community more than $313 million annually in asthma-related medical expenses. Harris County is inundated with multiple sources of fine particulate matter, said Inyang Uwak, AAH’s research and policy director.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5): a mix of particles, such as dust, dirt, soot and smoke emitted by industrial sources, vehicles, construction sites, fires or unpaved roads Volatile organic compounds (VOC): highly reactive carbon compounds released by vehicle exhaust, refineries and other industrial sources Nitrogen oxides (NOx): produced from fossil fuel-burning sources, such as power plants and vehicles
2020 total emissions data (tons per year)
Emissions
Source*
NOx
VOC
PM2.5
Fort Bend County total Harris County total
8,193.29 10,508.67 3,244.93
58,589.92 96,182.07 13,667.76
Fort Bend County population: 822,779
Harris County population: 4.73 million
SOURCES: AIR ALLIANCE HOUSTON, TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 2020 DATA/COMMUNITY IMPACT *FOUR SOURCES OF POLLUTANTS CONTRIBUTE TO THE TOTALS, INCLUDING SMALL- AND LARGE-SCALE INDUSTRIAL SOURCES, VEHICLES ON AND OFF HIGHWAYS, AND COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL SOURCES.
Zooming in
What’s next
of particulate matter and volatile organic com- pounds. A HCPC official said the sensors were placed in areas with concrete batch plants. Additionally, air quality sensor seller PurpleAir collects fine particulate matter data from several Katy-area monitors.
The lack of state- and federally regulated air monitors hasn’t stopped environmental advocacy groups and other local entities from measuring pollutants with independent air sensors. Harris County Pollution Control has one sensor in Katy Park’s field that tracks two types
Houston-Galveston Area Council officials are working with the EPA on a 13-county climate action plan, which will develop programs and policies over the next three years to reduce the region’s pollution, emissions and greenhouse gasses. The H-GAC was among entities chosen by the EPA in September to receive a $1 million federal grant for the plan. The EPA received the final plan March 1. On March 8, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against President Joe Biden’s administration in efforts to block the EPA’s new federal air quality standards. Paxton said in a news release he believes the standards aren’t based on sound science and will impose economic harm on Texas. Harris County commissioners agreed March 26 to intervene in the lawsuit in support of the EPA.
Air quality in the Katy area
In a two-year period, PurpleAir’s sensors in the Katy area recorded an average of 6.98 micrograms per cubic meter of fine particulate matter—lower than the EPA’s new standards.
Shadow Trail
Windsor Park
Arcadia
Local sensors
CLAY RD.
New EPA max
Old EPA max
Shadow Trail
16
SHADOW TRAIL
12
M O R TON RANCH RD.
8
BARKER DR.
4
10
KINGSLAND BLVD. GREENWIND CHASE DR.
0
2022
2023
2024
Arcadia
Windsor Park
N
SOURCE: PURPLEAIR/COMMUNITY IMPACT
22
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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