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The Environmental Protection Agency approved Wednesday a state clean-air plan, or State Implementation Plan (SIP), to improve air quality in the San Antonio area.
The plan calls for the State of Texas to implement vehicle emission testing and maintenance program requirements in Bexar County by November 2026.
This would require annual diagnostics testing of gasoline-powered vehicles that are between two and 24 years old.
Officials say the implementation of the plan is important to help meet Clean Air Act requirements.
“The EPA will continue to work with the state of Texas to develop sensible plans for addressing air pollution and helping San Antonio meet air quality standards," said Regional Administrator Scott Mason in a press release.
The EPA reclassified the San Antonio area from "marginal" to "moderate" ozone nonattainment in 2022.
This required the State of Texas to revise part of its SIP to reduce emissions from vehicles that contribute to the formation of ozone.
Pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, refineries and other sources create ground-level ozone, which could be harmful to our health.
The approval of Texas’ SIP plan comes as the EPA announced plans to target more than two dozen rules and policies.
