Government
BY MELISSA ENAJE
County fails new air quality rules
Harris County air pollution map Fine particulate matter, micrograms per cubic meter annual average, 2013-15*
5.1-8
8.1-10
10.1-12
Higher than 12
In AAH’s December 2023 report, researchers cited 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. “It affects almost every system of the body,” Uwak said. “It’s a very, very tiny particle. What makes this particle very dangerous to health is when you inhale the particles, it can easily pass through all the protections in your respiratory tract.” Harris County Public Health Director Barbie Robinson said she believes commitment from policymakers, industry professionals and community partners must be made to address these issues. “Leadership from all groups must make a concerted effort to improve environmental conditions and address the health disparities caused or exacerbated by air pollution,” she said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced new national air quality standards Feb. 7 that put Harris County in noncompliance along with nine other Texas counties, including in the Austin and Dallas-Forth Worth areas. The new standards require no more than 9 micrograms per cubic meter level of fine particulate matter—a pollution emitted by power plants, vehicles and industrial facilities that federal officials said can have dangerous and costly health effects. The previous national standard required no more than 12 micrograms per cubic meter. Based on EPA air quality data spanning 2020-22, Harris County air was measured to have roughly 11.4 micrograms per cubic meter annually. The county is also being projected by the EPA to not be able to meet the standards by a 2032 deadline. 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 one’s health and overall quality of life. Air pollution also impacts residents’ health care costs, according to researchers with Air Alliance Houston.
Humble
1960
Jersey Village
69
45
290
10
10
Houston
Gulfton
610
45
69
Missouri City
288
Pearland
6
N
*THE 2013-15 DATA WAS THE MOST RECENT AND COMPREHENSIVE VISUAL OF HARRIS COUNTY’S AIR POLLUTION LEVELS.
SOURCE: ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND/COMMUNITY IMPACT
The details
What’s next
dioxide and particulate matter. Under new air quality standards, AAH officials said adverse health effects should be reduced the most in communities of color, where particulate pollution has been the most prevalent for decades.
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 amounts of chemicals are released into the air that include air pollutants such as sulfur
Officials with the Houston-Galveston Area Council are working with the EPA on a 13-county climate action plan, which aims to develop aggressive strategies, programs and policies over the next three years to reduce air pollution, emissions and greenhouse gases in the region. The H-GAC was among entities chosen by the EPA in September to receive $1 million in federal grants for the plan. At a Feb. 27 meeting of the Harris County Commissioners Court, commissioners voted to accept roughly 28% of the funds, or $238,750. The final plan was submitted to the EPA on 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 the federal standards are not based on sound science and will impose economic harm on Texas.
Types of air pollution impacting Harris County
Research by the environmental group Air Alliance Houston has found several specific pollutants that are worsening air quality in Harris County.
Term
Definition
Health effects
A mixture of particles such as dust, dirt, soot and smoke emitted by industrial sources, vehicles, construction sites, fires or unpaved roads Highly reactive carbon compounds released by vehicle exhaust, refineries and other industrial sources
PM 2.5 can cause short-term health effects, can affect lung function, and can worsen asthma and heart disease. Breathing VOCs can damage the central nervous system, liver, kidneys and other organs. Some VOCs can cause cancer.
Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5)
Volatile organic compounds (VOC)
A group of gases that come from fossil fuel combustion at power plants and other industrial facilities
Sulfur oxide (SO2)
SO2 is tied to excess mortality and asthma hospitalizations.
SOURCE: AIR ALLIANCE HOUSTON/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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