EPA Calls Houston’s Smog Problem Severe
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EPA Calls Houston’s Smog Problem Severe
Houston and Los Angeles are the only two cities in the U.S. with severe smog problems, the EPA says.
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(October 2, 2008)--The Environmental Protection Agency is classifying the Houston area's smog problem as severe, which gives the region an extra nine years to meet federal health standards.

The smog problems in the eight-county Houston region used to be classified as moderate.

The area now joins Los Angeles as the only two metropolitan areas in the nation with severe smog problems, according to the EPA.

The Houston area now has until June 2019, instead of 2010, to meet federal air quality standards, but the extension is for Houston to meet the 1997 standard on ozone limits.

The EPA no longer considers the 1997 standard safe for public health, but agency spokeswoman Catherine Milbourn said Thursday progress toward that standard will protect the public and bring regions closer to meeting more stringent rules.

The EPA is required to evaluate progress on the 2008 standard in March 2010.

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