SIP (State Implementation Plan)

The EPA sets air quality standards or limits for six air pollutants: lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and ozone. These standards are established by reviewing extensive research about the adverse health effects of each pollutant. Areas that do not meet the air quality standard are classified as either "marginal," "moderate," "serious," "severe," or "extreme" based on the violation of the standard. Since the 1970's, the eight-county Houston-Galveston area (1) has greatly exceeded the federal health standard for ground-level ozone and has been designated as a "severe" non-attainment area for ozone. This designation stipulates certain pollution control requirements and specific deadlines for meeting the ozone standard. (2)

Since 1979, the State of Texas has been submitting a required plan to the U.S. EPA indicating how the Houston-Galveston area will reduce ozone pollution and achieve the air quality standard. This plan is called a SIP or State Implementation Plan. The State has until November of this year to present a SIP to the U.S. EPA demonstrating how this area will meet the ozone standard by 2007.

The November 1999 SIP must show what changes will be made in the Houston-Galveston area that will reduce ozone to the federal standard. Changes, called "control strategies", are entered into a computer model that predicts to which level ozone will be reduced. When enough control strategies are entered into the model to reduce ozone levels to the standard, the SIP can be submitted to the EPA.

The process of deciding which control strategies will be entered into the model can be complicated. The control strategies for the November 1999 SIP are a combination of federal and state actions and local options. The Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission (TNRCC) has given each non-attainment area the opportunity to determine what changes will be made in each area to achieve the ozone standard.

A local group representing business, industry, government, and environmental interests has been meeting since November to decide on possible control options for the Houston-Galveston area. This group came up with a list of over 200 changes that could be implemented to reduce ozone pollution. These include controls on industrial and utility boilers, expanded inspection and maintenance for vehicles, cleaner fuels for cars and trucks, reduced speed limits, low emission vehicles, and pollution controls on construction equipment. Local control strategies were sent to TNRCC to be modeled along with federal and state controls. With all these controls entered into the computer model, the Houston-Galveston eight-county area still did not meet the federal health standard for ozone.

The November 1999 SIP must be able to demonstrate that this area can achieve the ozone standard. Failure to do so could result in economic restrictions that would place requirements on new businesses moving to Houston, freeze Federal highway funds, and stop highway building projects.

The TNRCC is asking for your input about the State Implementation Plan (SIP) that they will be submitting to the EPA. You can comment about the importance of meeting the federal clean air standard for the health of children or the economic well being of the area, the control measures you would like or not like to see in the SIP, or another issue. Comments can be made in person at the public hearing or mailed to Ms. Bettie Bell, Office of Environmental Policy, Analysis, and Asssesment, MC 205, P.O. Box 13087, Austin Texas 78711-3087, or faxed to (512)239-4808.

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1 Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Waller
2 Air Quality Reference Guide for the Houston-Galveston Area, June 1998. Houston-Galveston Area Council