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San Antonio among communities reducing smog ahead of schedule

Release Date: 02/01/2008
Contact Information: Dave Bary or Tressa Tillman at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

(Dallas, Texas – February 1, 2008) The San Antonio area is among 13 areas the Environmental Protection Agency plans to designate as attaining the 1997 8-hour ozone standard under Early Action Compact agreements. EPA is proposing this action because each of the areas has demonstrated that they attained the standard by Dec. 31, 2007.

Early Action Compacts give certain local areas the flexibility to develop their own approach to meeting the 8-hour ozone standard, provided the communities control emissions from local sources earlier than the Clean Air Act would otherwise require. For areas that do not meet the ozone standard, attainment dates range from 2009-2021, depending upon the severity of the ozone problem.

EPA has been working with these areas to reduce ground-level ozone, or smog, as quickly as possible. Together with EPA, these communities entered into agreements called Early Action Compacts. The Early Action Compacts program has provided a strong incentive for state and local governments, civic leaders and business to develop innovative, cost-effective strategies for improving ozone air quality that are tailored to individual communities.

By reducing pollution ahead of schedule, these communities are bringing sustainable health and environmental improvements to their residents sooner than would have been achieved without these agreements.

In addition to San Antonio, the other 12 Early Action Compact areas that have attained the 8-hour ozone standard are: Frederick County/Winchester, Va.; Roanoke, Va.; Washington County/Hagerstown, Md.; Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, W.Va.; Hickory area, N.C.; Greensboro area, N.C.; Fayetteville, N.C.; Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, S.C.; Columbia area, S.C.; Chattanooga area, Tenn.; Nashville area, Tenn.; and Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol area, Tenn.

Additional information on the Early Action Compact Program is available at https://www.epa.gov/air/eac/.

To learn more about activities in EPA Region 6, please visit https://www.epa.gov/region6.