CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html>     <html class="no-js">  <head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("http://www.texastribune.org:80/2014/07/16/dfw-struggles-air-quality-improvements/","20150626030021","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1435287621"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <title>In DFW, Little Traction on Improving Air Quality | The Texas Tribune</title> <link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021im_/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/common/images/favicon.ico"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> <meta charset="utf-8"><script type="text/javascript">(window.NREUM||(NREUM={})).loader_config={xpid:"UgMGVFZADAYCUVBR"};window.NREUM||(NREUM={}),__nr_require=function(t,e,n){function r(n){if(!e[n]){var o=e[n]={exports:{}};t[n][0].call(o.exports,function(e){var o=t[n][1][e];return r(o?o:e)},o,o.exports)}return e[n].exports}if("function"==typeof __nr_require)return __nr_require;for(var o=0;o<n.length;o++)r(n[o]);return r}({QJf3ax:[function(t,e){function n(t){function e(e,n,a){t&&t(e,n,a),a||(a={});for(var c=s(e),f=c.length,u=i(a,o,r),d=0;f>d;d++)c[d].apply(u,n);return u}function a(t,e){f[t]=s(t).concat(e)}function s(t){return f[t]||[]}function c(){return n(e)}var f={};return{on:a,emit:e,create:c,listeners:s,_events:f}}function r(){return{}}var o="nr@context",i=t("gos");e.exports=n()},{gos:"7eSDFh"}],ee:[function(t,e){e.exports=t("QJf3ax")},{}],3:[function(t){function e(t){try{i.console&&console.log(t)}catch(e){}}var n,r=t("ee"),o=t(1),i={};try{n=localStorage.getItem("__nr_flags").split(","),console&&"function"==typeof console.log&&(i.console=!0,-1!==n.indexOf("dev")&&(i.dev=!0),-1!==n.indexOf("nr_dev")&&(i.nrDev=!0))}catch(a){}i.nrDev&&r.on("internal-error",function(t){e(t.stack)}),i.dev&&r.on("fn-err",function(t,n,r){e(r.stack)}),i.dev&&(e("NR AGENT IN DEVELOPMENT MODE"),e("flags: "+o(i,function(t){return t}).join(", ")))},{1:23,ee:"QJf3ax"}],4:[function(t){function e(t,e,n,i,s){try{c?c-=1:r("err",[s||new UncaughtException(t,e,n)])}catch(f){try{r("ierr",[f,(new Date).getTime(),!0])}catch(u){}}return"function"==typeof a?a.apply(this,o(arguments)):!1}function UncaughtException(t,e,n){this.message=t||"Uncaught error with no additional information",this.sourceURL=e,this.line=n}function n(t){r("err",[t,(new Date).getTime()])}var r=t("handle"),o=t(6),i=t("ee"),a=window.onerror,s=!1,c=0;t("loader").features.err=!0,t(5),window.onerror=e;try{throw new Error}catch(f){"stack"in f&&(t(1),t(2),"addEventListener"in window&&t(3),window.XMLHttpRequest&&XMLHttpRequest.prototype&&XMLHttpRequest.prototype.addEventListener&&window.XMLHttpRequest&&XMLHttpRequest.prototype&&XMLHttpRequest.prototype.addEventListener&&!/CriOS/.test(navigator.userAgent)&&t(4),s=!0)}i.on("fn-start",function(){s&&(c+=1)}),i.on("fn-err",function(t,e,r){s&&(this.thrown=!0,n(r))}),i.on("fn-end",function(){s&&!this.thrown&&c>0&&(c-=1)}),i.on("internal-error",function(t){r("ierr",[t,(new Date).getTime(),!0])})},{1:10,2:9,3:7,4:11,5:3,6:24,ee:"QJf3ax",handle:"D5DuLP",loader:"G9z0Bl"}],5:[function(t){t("loader").features.ins=!0},{loader:"G9z0Bl"}],6:[function(t){function e(){}if(window.performance&&window.performance.timing&&window.performance.getEntriesByType){var n=t("ee"),r=t("handle"),o=t(1),i=t(2);t("loader").features.stn=!0,t(3),n.on("fn-start",function(t){var e=t[0];e instanceof Event&&(this.bstStart=Date.now())}),n.on("fn-end",function(t,e){var n=t[0];n instanceof Event&&r("bst",[n,e,this.bstStart,Date.now()])}),o.on("fn-start",function(t,e,n){this.bstStart=Date.now(),this.bstType=n}),o.on("fn-end",function(t,e){r("bstTimer",[e,this.bstStart,Date.now(),this.bstType])}),i.on("fn-start",function(){this.bstStart=Date.now()}),i.on("fn-end",function(t,e){r("bstTimer",[e,this.bstStart,Date.now(),"requestAnimationFrame"])}),n.on("pushState-start",function(){this.time=Date.now(),this.startPath=location.pathname+location.hash}),n.on("pushState-end",function(){r("bstHist",[location.pathname+location.hash,this.startPath,this.time])}),"addEventListener"in window.performance&&(window.performance.addEventListener("webkitresourcetimingbufferfull",function(){r("bstResource",[window.performance.getEntriesByType("resource")]),window.performance.webkitClearResourceTimings()},!1),window.performance.addEventListener("resourcetimingbufferfull",function(){r("bstResource",[window.performance.getEntriesByType("resource")]),window.performance.clearResourceTimings()},!1)),document.addEventListener("scroll",e,!1),document.addEventListener("keypress",e,!1),document.addEventListener("click",e,!1)}},{1:10,2:9,3:8,ee:"QJf3ax",handle:"D5DuLP",loader:"G9z0Bl"}],7:[function(t,e){function n(t){i.inPlace(t,["addEventListener","removeEventListener"],"-",r)}function r(t){return t[1]}var o=(t(1),t("ee").create()),i=t(2)(o),a=t("gos");if(e.exports=o,n(window),"getPrototypeOf"in Object){for(var s=document;s&&!s.hasOwnProperty("addEventListener");)s=Object.getPrototypeOf(s);s&&n(s);for(var c=XMLHttpRequest.prototype;c&&!c.hasOwnProperty("addEventListener");)c=Object.getPrototypeOf(c);c&&n(c)}else XMLHttpRequest.prototype.hasOwnProperty("addEventListener")&&n(XMLHttpRequest.prototype);o.on("addEventListener-start",function(t){if(t[1]){var e=t[1];"function"==typeof e?this.wrapped=t[1]=a(e,"nr@wrapped",function(){return i(e,"fn-",null,e.name||"anonymous")}):"function"==typeof e.handleEvent&&i.inPlace(e,["handleEvent"],"fn-")}}),o.on("removeEventListener-start",function(t){var e=this.wrapped;e&&(t[1]=e)})},{1:24,2:25,ee:"QJf3ax",gos:"7eSDFh"}],8:[function(t,e){var n=(t(2),t("ee").create()),r=t(1)(n);e.exports=n,r.inPlace(window.history,["pushState"],"-")},{1:25,2:24,ee:"QJf3ax"}],9:[function(t,e){var n=(t(2),t("ee").create()),r=t(1)(n);e.exports=n,r.inPlace(window,["requestAnimationFrame","mozRequestAnimationFrame","webkitRequestAnimationFrame","msRequestAnimationFrame"],"raf-"),n.on("raf-start",function(t){t[0]=r(t[0],"fn-")})},{1:25,2:24,ee:"QJf3ax"}],10:[function(t,e){function n(t,e,n){t[0]=o(t[0],"fn-",null,n)}var r=(t(2),t("ee").create()),o=t(1)(r);e.exports=r,o.inPlace(window,["setTimeout","setInterval","setImmediate"],"setTimer-"),r.on("setTimer-start",n)},{1:25,2:24,ee:"QJf3ax"}],11:[function(t,e){function n(){f.inPlace(this,p,"fn-")}function r(t,e){f.inPlace(e,["onreadystatechange"],"fn-")}function o(t,e){return e}function i(t,e){for(var n in t)e[n]=t[n];return e}var a=t("ee").create(),s=t(1),c=t(2),f=c(a),u=c(s),d=window.XMLHttpRequest,p=["onload","onerror","onabort","onloadstart","onloadend","onprogress","ontimeout"];e.exports=a,window.XMLHttpRequest=function(t){var e=new d(t);try{a.emit("new-xhr",[],e),u.inPlace(e,["addEventListener","removeEventListener"],"-",o),e.addEventListener("readystatechange",n,!1)}catch(r){try{a.emit("internal-error",[r])}catch(i){}}return e},i(d,XMLHttpRequest),XMLHttpRequest.prototype=d.prototype,f.inPlace(XMLHttpRequest.prototype,["open","send"],"-xhr-",o),a.on("send-xhr-start",r),a.on("open-xhr-start",r)},{1:7,2:25,ee:"QJf3ax"}],12:[function(t){function e(t){var e=this.params,r=this.metrics;if(!this.ended){this.ended=!0;for(var i=0;c>i;i++)t.removeEventListener(s[i],this.listener,!1);if(!e.aborted){if(r.duration=(new Date).getTime()-this.startTime,4===t.readyState){e.status=t.status;var a=t.responseType,f="arraybuffer"===a||"blob"===a||"json"===a?t.response:t.responseText,u=n(f);if(u&&(r.rxSize=u),this.sameOrigin){var d=t.getResponseHeader("X-NewRelic-App-Data");d&&(e.cat=d.split(", ").pop())}}else e.status=0;r.cbTime=this.cbTime,o("xhr",[e,r,this.startTime])}}}function n(t){if("string"==typeof t&&t.length)return t.length;if("object"!=typeof t)return void 0;if("undefined"!=typeof ArrayBuffer&&t instanceof ArrayBuffer&&t.byteLength)return t.byteLength;if("undefined"!=typeof Blob&&t instanceof Blob&&t.size)return t.size;if("undefined"!=typeof FormData&&t instanceof FormData)return void 0;try{return JSON.stringify(t).length}catch(e){return void 0}}function r(t,e){var n=i(e),r=t.params;r.host=n.hostname+":"+n.port,r.pathname=n.pathname,t.sameOrigin=n.sameOrigin}if(window.XMLHttpRequest&&XMLHttpRequest.prototype&&XMLHttpRequest.prototype.addEventListener&&!/CriOS/.test(navigator.userAgent)){t("loader").features.xhr=!0;var o=t("handle"),i=t(2),a=t("ee"),s=["load","error","abort","timeout"],c=s.length,f=t(1);t(4),t(3),a.on("new-xhr",function(){this.totalCbs=0,this.called=0,this.cbTime=0,this.end=e,this.ended=!1,this.xhrGuids={}}),a.on("open-xhr-start",function(t){this.params={method:t[0]},r(this,t[1]),this.metrics={}}),a.on("open-xhr-end",function(t,e){"loader_config"in NREUM&&"xpid"in NREUM.loader_config&&this.sameOrigin&&e.setRequestHeader("X-NewRelic-ID",NREUM.loader_config.xpid)}),a.on("send-xhr-start",function(t,e){var r=this.metrics,o=t[0],i=this;if(r&&o){var f=n(o);f&&(r.txSize=f)}this.startTime=(new Date).getTime(),this.listener=function(t){try{"abort"===t.type&&(i.params.aborted=!0),("load"!==t.type||i.called===i.totalCbs&&(i.onloadCalled||"function"!=typeof e.onload))&&i.end(e)}catch(n){try{a.emit("internal-error",[n])}catch(r){}}};for(var u=0;c>u;u++)e.addEventListener(s[u],this.listener,!1)}),a.on("xhr-cb-time",function(t,e,n){this.cbTime+=t,e?this.onloadCalled=!0:this.called+=1,this.called!==this.totalCbs||!this.onloadCalled&&"function"==typeof n.onload||this.end(n)}),a.on("xhr-load-added",function(t,e){var n=""+f(t)+!!e;this.xhrGuids&&!this.xhrGuids[n]&&(this.xhrGuids[n]=!0,this.totalCbs+=1)}),a.on("xhr-load-removed",function(t,e){var n=""+f(t)+!!e;this.xhrGuids&&this.xhrGuids[n]&&(delete this.xhrGuids[n],this.totalCbs-=1)}),a.on("addEventListener-end",function(t,e){e instanceof XMLHttpRequest&&"load"===t[0]&&a.emit("xhr-load-added",[t[1],t[2]],e)}),a.on("removeEventListener-end",function(t,e){e instanceof XMLHttpRequest&&"load"===t[0]&&a.emit("xhr-load-removed",[t[1],t[2]],e)}),a.on("fn-start",function(t,e,n){e instanceof XMLHttpRequest&&("onload"===n&&(this.onload=!0),("load"===(t[0]&&t[0].type)||this.onload)&&(this.xhrCbStart=(new Date).getTime()))}),a.on("fn-end",function(t,e){this.xhrCbStart&&a.emit("xhr-cb-time",[(new Date).getTime()-this.xhrCbStart,this.onload,e],e)})}},{1:"XL7HBI",2:13,3:11,4:7,ee:"QJf3ax",handle:"D5DuLP",loader:"G9z0Bl"}],13:[function(t,e){e.exports=function(t){var e=document.createElement("a"),n=window.location,r={};e.href=t,r.port=e.port;var o=e.href.split("://");return!r.port&&o[1]&&(r.port=o[1].split("/")[0].split("@").pop().split(":")[1]),r.port&&"0"!==r.port||(r.port="https"===o[0]?"443":"80"),r.hostname=e.hostname||n.hostname,r.pathname=e.pathname,r.protocol=o[0],"/"!==r.pathname.charAt(0)&&(r.pathname="/"+r.pathname),r.sameOrigin=!e.hostname||e.hostname===document.domain&&e.port===n.port&&e.protocol===n.protocol,r}},{}],14:[function(t,e){function n(t){return function(){r(t,[(new Date).getTime()].concat(i(arguments)))}}var r=t("handle"),o=t(1),i=t(2);"undefined"==typeof window.newrelic&&(newrelic=window.NREUM);var a=["setPageViewName","addPageAction","setCustomAttribute","finished","addToTrace","inlineHit","noticeError"];o(a,function(t,e){window.NREUM[e]=n("api-"+e)}),e.exports=window.NREUM},{1:23,2:24,handle:"D5DuLP"}],"7eSDFh":[function(t,e){function n(t,e,n){if(r.call(t,e))return t[e];var o=n();if(Object.defineProperty&&Object.keys)try{return Object.defineProperty(t,e,{value:o,writable:!0,enumerable:!1}),o}catch(i){}return t[e]=o,o}var r=Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;e.exports=n},{}],gos:[function(t,e){e.exports=t("7eSDFh")},{}],handle:[function(t,e){e.exports=t("D5DuLP")},{}],D5DuLP:[function(t,e){function n(t,e,n){return r.listeners(t).length?r.emit(t,e,n):(o[t]||(o[t]=[]),void o[t].push(e))}var r=t("ee").create(),o={};e.exports=n,n.ee=r,r.q=o},{ee:"QJf3ax"}],id:[function(t,e){e.exports=t("XL7HBI")},{}],XL7HBI:[function(t,e){function n(t){var e=typeof t;return!t||"object"!==e&&"function"!==e?-1:t===window?0:i(t,o,function(){return r++})}var r=1,o="nr@id",i=t("gos");e.exports=n},{gos:"7eSDFh"}],G9z0Bl:[function(t,e){function n(){var t=p.info=NREUM.info,e=f.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];if(t&&t.licenseKey&&t.applicationID&&e){s(d,function(e,n){e in t||(t[e]=n)});var n="https"===u.split(":")[0]||t.sslForHttp;p.proto=n?"https://":"http://",a("mark",["onload",i()]);var r=f.createElement("script");r.src=p.proto+t.agent,e.parentNode.insertBefore(r,e)}}function r(){"complete"===f.readyState&&o()}function o(){a("mark",["domContent",i()])}function i(){return(new Date).getTime()}var a=t("handle"),s=t(1),c=(t(2),window),f=c.document,u=(""+location).split("?")[0],d={beacon:"bam.nr-data.net",errorBeacon:"bam.nr-data.net",agent:"js-agent.newrelic.com/nr-632.min.js"},p=e.exports={offset:i(),origin:u,features:{}};f.addEventListener?(f.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",o,!1),c.addEventListener("load",n,!1)):(f.attachEvent("onreadystatechange",r),c.attachEvent("onload",n)),a("mark",["firstbyte",i()])},{1:23,2:14,handle:"D5DuLP"}],loader:[function(t,e){e.exports=t("G9z0Bl")},{}],23:[function(t,e){function n(t,e){var n=[],o="",i=0;for(o in t)r.call(t,o)&&(n[i]=e(o,t[o]),i+=1);return n}var r=Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;e.exports=n},{}],24:[function(t,e){function n(t,e,n){e||(e=0),"undefined"==typeof n&&(n=t?t.length:0);for(var r=-1,o=n-e||0,i=Array(0>o?0:o);++r<o;)i[r]=t[e+r];return i}e.exports=n},{}],25:[function(t,e){function n(t){return!(t&&"function"==typeof t&&t.apply&&!t[i])}var r=t("ee"),o=t(1),i="nr@wrapper",a=Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;e.exports=function(t){function e(t,e,r,a){function nrWrapper(){var n,i,s,f;try{i=this,n=o(arguments),s=r&&r(n,i)||{}}catch(d){u([d,"",[n,i,a],s])}c(e+"start",[n,i,a],s);try{return f=t.apply(i,n)}catch(p){throw c(e+"err",[n,i,p],s),p}finally{c(e+"end",[n,i,f],s)}}return n(t)?t:(e||(e=""),nrWrapper[i]=!0,f(t,nrWrapper),nrWrapper)}function s(t,r,o,i){o||(o="");var a,s,c,f="-"===o.charAt(0);for(c=0;c<r.length;c++)s=r[c],a=t[s],n(a)||(t[s]=e(a,f?s+o:o,i,s))}function c(e,n,r){try{t.emit(e,n,r)}catch(o){u([o,e,n,r])}}function f(t,e){if(Object.defineProperty&&Object.keys)try{var n=Object.keys(t);return n.forEach(function(n){Object.defineProperty(e,n,{get:function(){return t[n]},set:function(e){return t[n]=e,e}})}),e}catch(r){u([r])}for(var o in t)a.call(t,o)&&(e[o]=t[o]);return e}function u(e){try{t.emit("internal-error",e)}catch(n){}}return t||(t=r),e.inPlace=s,e.flag=i,e}},{1:24,ee:"QJf3ax"}]},{},["G9z0Bl",4,12,6,5]);</script><script type="text/javascript">window.NREUM||(NREUM={});NREUM.info={"beacon":"bam.nr-data.net","queueTime":0,"licenseKey":"8636ab2091","agent":"js-agent.newrelic.com/nr-632.min.js","transactionName":"ZwZWZ0NWD0VRAE1YCV5MckZfVBVfXw0WUgleF1FdRRkSQl8RUFQVHhVdVkZEW3VfDU1UCEQnUUdQXg0=","applicationID":"452513","errorBeacon":"bam.nr-data.net","applicationTime":339}</script> <meta name="description" content="The Dallas-Fort Worth region boasts a growing economy larger than that of many countries &mdash; but it also sports some of the worst air quality in the nation. Scientists fear the politics of economic growth is preventing improvements."/> <meta name="keywords" content=""/> <meta property="twitter:card" content="photo"/> <meta property="twitter:site" content="The Texas Tribune"/> <meta property="twitter:title" content="In DFW, Little Traction on Improving Air Quality, by Neena Satija"/> <meta property="twitter:description" content="The Dallas-Fort Worth region boasts a growing economy larger than that of many countries &mdash; but it also sports some of the worst air quality in the nation. Scientists fear the politics of economic growth is preventing improvements."/> <meta property="twitter:image" content="https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/15/FallingBehind-MartinLake_jpg_407x1000_q100.jpg"> <meta name="parsely-title" content="In DFW, Little Traction on Improving Air Quality"/> <meta name="parsely-link" content="http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/16/dfw-struggles-air-quality-improvements/"/> <meta name="parsely-pub-date" content="July 16, 2014, 6 a.m."/> <meta name="parsely-author" content="Neena Satija"/> <meta name="parsely-section" content="FRONT PAGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT"/> <meta property="parsely-image-url" content="https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/15/FallingBehind-MartinLake_jpg_407x1000_q100.jpg"> <meta name="parsely-type" content="post"/> <meta property="fb:app_id" content="154122474650943"> <meta property="og:site_name" content="The Texas Tribune"/> <meta property="og:url" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/16/dfw-struggles-air-quality-improvements/"/> <meta property="twitter:url" content="http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/16/dfw-struggles-air-quality-improvements/"/> <meta property="og:title" content="In DFW, Little Traction on Improving Air Quality, by Neena Satija"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:description" content="The Dallas-Fort Worth region boasts a growing economy larger than that of many countries &mdash; but it also sports some of the worst air quality in the nation. Scientists fear the politics of economic growth is preventing improvements."/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021im_/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/15/FallingBehind-MartinLake_jpg_800x1000_q100.jpg"/>  <script type="text/javascript" src="//web.archive.org/web/20150626030021js_/http://use.typekit.com/brb4jmm.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript">try{Typekit.load();}catch(e){}</script> <link href="https://plus.google.com/116406259333166116089/" rel="publisher"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/16/dfw-struggles-air-quality-improvements/"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021cs_/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/COMPRESSED/css/0595e7490fb8.css" type="text/css"/>  <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021cs_/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/common/css/story_base.css"> <script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-9827490-1', 'texastribune.org'); ga('require', 'displayfeatures'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script> <script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= '//web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','mipData','GTM-NBBG35');</script> <script>// var tt = tt || {}; tt.debug = false; tt.media_url = 'https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/common/'; tt.facebook = {appId: '154122474650943'}; // Doubleclick integration tt.ads = { // targeting: {}, // addTarget: function(key, value) { if (typeof key === 'undefined'){ // get all attrs return tt.ads.targeting; } else { // set attr tt.ads.targeting[key] = value; } } }; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//web.archive.org/web/20150626030021js_/http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.7.2/jquery.min.js"></script> <script>window.jQuery || document.write('<script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/common/vendor/jquery/1.7.2/jquery.min.js"><\/script>')</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//web.archive.org/web/20150626030021js_/http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jqueryui/1.8.18/jquery-ui.min.js"></script> <script>window.jQuery.ui || document.write('<script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/common/vendor/jqueryui/jquery-ui-1.8.18.min.js"><\/script>')</script> <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021js_/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/common/vendor/modernizr/modernizr.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> var tt = tt || {}; tt.currentPage = tt.currentPage || {}; var shortenedHash = '1r2CKPM'; tt.currentPage.canonicalUrl = '/2014/07/16/dfw\u002Dstruggles\u002Dair\u002Dquality\u002Dimprovements/'; var authorTwitterAccounts = ['']; tt.currentPage.authors = [ "Neena Satija" ]; tt.currentPage.authorsText = "Neena Satija"; tt.currentPage.sections = [ "article" ]; tt.currentPage.sections.push("FRONT PAGE"); tt.currentPage.sections.push("ENERGY \u0026 ENVIRONMENT"); </script> </head> <body class="story responsive"> <script type="text/javascript"> var _qevents = _qevents || []; (function() { var elem = document.createElement('script'); elem.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://secure" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://edge") + ".quantserve.com/quant.js"; elem.async = true; elem.type = "text/javascript"; var scpt = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; scpt.parentNode.insertBefore(elem, scpt); })(); </script> <script type="text/javascript">var _sf_startpt=(new Date()).getTime()</script> <div class="wrapper-r"> <div id="site_roofline" style="position:relative;"> <div class="hide-for-mobile large_ad_container"> <div class="ad adunit tablet standard" data-dimensions="728x90" data-adunit="TexasTribune_Site_Roofline1_ATF_Leaderboard_728x90"> </div> <div class="ad adunit tablet standard" data-dimensions="728x90" data-adunit="TexasTribune_Site_Roofline2_ATF_Leaderboard_728x90"> </div> <div class="ad adunit tablet standard" data-dimensions="728x90" data-adunit="TexasTribune_Site_Roofline3_ATF_Leaderboard_728x90"> </div> <div class="ad adunit tablet standard" data-dimensions="728x90" data-adunit="TexasTribune_Site_Roofline4_ATF_Leaderboard_728x90"> </div> </div> <div class="mobile-only"> <div class="ad adunit mobile" data-dimensions="300x100" data-adunit="_TexasTribune_Site_Roofline1_ATF_Leaderboard_300x100"> </div> <div class="ad adunit mobile" data-dimensions="300x100" data-adunit="_TexasTribune_Site_Roofline2_ATF_Leaderboard_300x100"> </div> <div class="ad adunit mobile" data-dimensions="300x100" data-adunit="_TexasTribune_Site_Roofline3_ATF_Leaderboard_300x100"> </div> <div class="ad adunit mobile" data-dimensions="300x100" data-adunit="_TexasTribune_Site_Roofline4_ATF_Leaderboard_300x100"> </div> </div> </div> <div id="greeting"> <ul> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/accounts/register/" title="Register for your free Texas Tribune account">Register</a> </li> <li class="last"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/accounts/login/?next=">Login</a> <script> (function(){ var allScripts = document.getElementsByTagName('script'), currentScript = allScripts[allScripts.length - 1], node = currentScript; while (node = node.previousSibling) { if (node.nodeName == "A"){ node.href += document.location.pathname; break; } }; })(); </script> </li> </ul> </div> <header id="site_header"> <nav class="navbar primary"> <ul> <li class="hide-for-mobile navbar-search"> <form method="get" action="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/search/"> <input id="site_search_q" name="q" type="text" value="" placeholder="Search..."> <button type="submit" aria-label="Submit"><i class="icon-search"></i></button> </form> </li> <li class="active hide-for-mobile dropdown-toggle"> <a class="dropdown-toggle" href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/"> Front Page </a> <div class="mega-dropdown grid" id="sections"> <div class="cell w-3 tab_nav_cell"> <ul id="sidemenu" class="tab-nav"> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/economy/" data-section="economy"> Economy </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/education/" data-section="education"> Education </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/energy-and-environment/" data-section="energy-and-environment"> Energy & Environment</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/government/" data-section="government"> Government </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/health-and-human-services/" data-section="health-and-human-services"> Health & Human Services </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/law-and-order/" data-section="law-and-order"> Law & Order </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/people/" data-section="people"> People </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/politics/" data-section="politics"> Politics </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/race-and-immigration/" data-section="race-and-immigration"> Race & Immigration </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/transportation/" data-section="transportation"> Transportation </a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="sections-tab-container" class="cell w-9 tab_container" data-content-resource="/esi/components/megadropdown/"> <div style="padding: 1em; font-family: 'LeagueGothicRegular'; font-size:2.1em; color: #999; ">Loading...</div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="hide-for-mobile"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/data/"> Data </a> </li> <li class="hide-for-mobile"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/directory/"> Directory </a> </li> <li class="hide-for-mobile"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/events/"> Events </a> </li> <li class="hide-for-mobile"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/festival/"> Festival </a> </li> <li class="hide-for-mobile dropdown-toggle"> <a class="multimedia" href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/multimedia/"> Multimedia </a> <ul class="dropdown"> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/livestream/">Livestream</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="hide-for-mobile dropdown-toggle"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/subscribe/"> Newsletters </a> <ul class="dropdown"> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/tribpedia/the-brief/">The Brief</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/">Texas Weekly</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/plus/edu/">Trib+Edu</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/plus/health/">Trib+Health</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/plus/water/">Trib+Water</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="hide-for-mobile"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.tribtalk.org/"> TribTalk </a> </li> <li class="hide-for-mobile"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/investigations/" title="Investigations"> Investigations </a> </li> <li class="hide-for-mobile"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2016/" title="2016 Presidential Elections"> 2016 </a> </li> <li class="mobile-only active dropdown-toggle"> <a href="#"> Menu<i class="icon-caret-down"></i> </a> <ul class="mobile-dropdown"> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/">Front Page</a> </li> <li> <a class="data" href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/data/">Data</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/directory/">Directory</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/events/">Events</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/festival/">Festival</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/multimedia/">Multimedia</a> </li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/livestream/">Livestream</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/tribpedia/the-brief/">The Brief</a></li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/">Texas Weekly</a> </li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/plus/edu/">Trib+Edu</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/plus/health/">Trib+Health</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/plus/water/">Trib+Water</a></li> <li> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.tribtalk.org/">TribTalk</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/investigations/" title="Investigations"> Investigations </a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2016/" title="2016 Presidential Elections"> 2016 </a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="mobile-only dropdown-toggle"> <a href="#"> Sections<i class="icon-caret-down"></i> </a> <ul class="mobile-dropdown"> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/economy/" data-section="economy"> Economy </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/education/" data-section="education"> Education </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/energy-and-environment/" data-section="energy-and-environment"> Energy & Environment</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/government/" data-section="government"> Government </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/health-and-human-services/" data-section="health-and-human-services"> Health & Human Services </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/law-and-order/" data-section="law-and-order"> Law & Order </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/people/" data-section="people"> People </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/politics/" data-section="politics"> Politics </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/race-and-immigration/" data-section="race-and-immigration"> Race & Immigration </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/transportation/" data-section="transportation"> Transportation </a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="mobile-only dropdown-toggle"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/search/"><i class="icon-search"></i></a> <div class="mobile-dropdown mobile-search"> <form method="get" action="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/search/"> <input name="q" type="text" value="" placeholder="SEARCH"> <button type="search" alt="Do Search"> <i class="icon-search"></i> </button> </form> </div> </li> <li class="mobile-only active" id="mobi_join"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://support.texastribune.org/"> Support Us </a> </li> </ul> </nav> <div class="ad last"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/join/" title="Contribute Today" style="display: block; padding-top: .5em"> <div style="background:url(//web.archive.org/web/20150626030021im_/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/membership/TT-support-us-front-page-btn120x60.jpg) no-repeat; width: 120px; height:60px; background-size: 120px 60px;"></div> </a> </div> <div class="below_nav"> <h1 id="logo"><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021im_/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/common/images/logo.png" alt="The Texas Tribune"></a></h1> <time datetime="2015-06-25T22:00:20.731547">Thursday, June 25, 2015</time> </div> </header> </div> <div class="wrapper content-wrapper"> <div id="site_content" class="content "> <div class="grid"> <div class="cell w-8 main_column"> <article class="last"> <header> <h1>In DFW, Little Traction on Improving Air Quality</h1> <ul class="meta separator"><li class="byline"> by <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/neena-satija/" rel="author">Neena Satija</a></li><li><time datetime="Wed, 16 Jul 2014 06:00:00 -0500" title="2014-07-16 06:00"> July 16, 2014 </time></li><li class="comments"><a class="comments" href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/16/dfw-struggles-air-quality-improvements/comments/"><span class="value">9</span><span class="label">Comments</span></a></li></ul> </header> <aside> <ul class="social_links"> <li class="comment"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/16/dfw-struggles-air-quality-improvements/comments/" title=""> <i class="icon-comments-alt"></i> <span>Comment</span> </a> </li> <li class="republish"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/content/republish/72681/"> <i class="icon-share"></i> <span>Republish</span> </a> </li> <li class="email"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#27185452454d4244531a734f4202151773425f465402151773554e455249421d0215176e490215176361700215640215176b4e53534b4202151773554644534e4849X%20on%20Improving%20Air%20Quality&body=I%20read an article%20that%20you%20might%20be%20interested%20in%20at%20The%20Texas%20Tribune:%20In%20DFW%2C%20Little%20Traction%20on%20Improving%20Air%20Quality%2C%20by%20Neena Satija.%20http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/16/dfw-struggles-air-quality-improvements/%0DThe%20Dallas-Fort%20Worth%20region%20boasts%20a%20growing%20economy%20larger%20than%20that%20of%20many%20countries%20%26mdash%3B%20but%20it%20also%20sports%20some%20of%20the%20worst%20air%20quality%20in%20the%20nation.%20Scientists%20fear%20the%20politics%20of%20economic%20growth%20is%20preventing%20improvements." title="" class="email"> <i class="icon-envelope"></i> <span>Email</span> </a> </li> <li class="twitter"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://twitter.com/share?text=In DFW, Little Traction on Improving Air Quality&url=http://trib.it/1r2CKPM&via=TexasTribune&related=TexasTribune,TribData"> <i class="icon-twitter"></i> <span>Tweet</span> </a> </li> <li class="facebook"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/16/dfw-struggles-air-quality-improvements/"> <i class="icon-facebook"></i> <span>Recommend</span> </a> </li> </ul> </aside> <div class="content"> <div class="media article_detail unprose"> <a href="//web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/15/FallingBehind-MartinLake_jpg_800x1000_q100.jpg" title="" class="lightbox"> <img src="//web.archive.org/web/20150626030021im_/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/15/FallingBehind-MartinLake_jpg_312x1000_q100.jpg" alt=""> </a> <div class="photo_links"> <a href="//web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/15/FallingBehind-MartinLake_jpg_800x1000_q100.jpg" title="" class="lightbox enlarge">Enlarge</a> <cite>Photo by Tom Pennington</cite> </div> </div> <p> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/series/falling-behind/"> <img id="project-logo" src="//web.archive.org/web/20150626030021im_/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/series/TxTrib-falling-behind-logo_1.png" alt="Falling Behind " width="250"/> </a> </p> <p><em>Falling Behind is a 10-part series on the flip side of state leaders’ aggressive pursuit of the "Texas Miracle.” You can also read our related Hurting For Work series <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://apps.texastribune.org/hurting-for-work/">here</a>, or subscribe to our water and education newsletters <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/subscribe/">here</a>.</em></p> <hr> <p><sub>*Correction appended</sub></p> <p>When the Dallas County Medical Society<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.dallas-cms.org/news/TCEQpetition082613.pdf"> asked</a> Texas environmental regulators in October to increase pollution controls on coal-fired power plants, they knew it would be a tough sell.</p> <p>But the association of more than 6,500 physicians said it was fed up with seeing patients suffering from the region’s <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.stateoftheair.org/2013/msas/dallas-fort-worth-tx.html#ozone">air quality problems</a>, which are among the<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.stateoftheair.org/2013/city-rankings/most-polluted-cities.html"> worst</a> in the nation. And members said real improvement was possible by targeting two of the nation’s oldest coal-fired plants, which <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.dallas-cms.org/news/coalplants.pdf">are among the state’s biggest sources</a> of nitrogen oxide emissions — air pollutants that reacts with other toxic chemicals in the presence of sunlight to create ozone.</p> <p>Still, the association’s members were not prepared for what happened when the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) took up their request.</p> <p>“There is data that shows that we should be raising the ozone levels,” Bryan Shaw, the commission’s chairman, said to doctors who testified. "And I am not at all suggesting that’s true. I'm suggesting that there is data that shows that we’re at a point where there's noise there, and I think that there’s concern that we may be chasing the wrong rabbit, as I sometimes utilize, to try to capture that.” </p><div class="ad_container ad_container--adify"> <div class="ad adunit mobile tablet standard" data-adunit="TexasTribune_Content_StoryPage_InsideStory_468x60"> </div> </div> <p>Later in the meeting, he added, “It does no one any good to go and require reducing ozone if we’re not having a beneficial impact.” </p> <p>“It was completely unexpected,” said Robert Haley, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center who attended the meeting. “In the scientific world, nobody questions this. All of this was argued decades ago.”</p> <p>The commission<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/comm_exec/agendas/comm/marked/2013/131023.Mrk.pdf"> denied</a> the medical society’s petition, following the<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www7.tceq.state.tx.us/uploads/eagendas/Agendas/2013/10-23-2013/1612RUL.pdf"> recommendation</a> of its staff.</p> <p>Doctors and scientists across the state believe that the Dallas-Fort Worth region’s ozone levels are a major public health concern. High levels of ozone are particularly risky for people with asthma, lung disease, heart disease and even diabetes — health problems <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.stateoftheair.org/2014/msas/dallas-fort-worth-tx-ok.html">that afflict</a> more than 1.5 million North Texans out of a population of roughly 7 million.</p> <div class="media full_width unprose no_float"><a class="lightbox" title="People who suffer from asthma, lung disease, and heart disease are all put at additional risk when they are exposed to high ozone levels." href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/15/TT-air-quality-graphics-health-problems_png_800x1000_q100.png"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021im_/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/15/TT-air-quality-graphics-health-problems_png_800x1000_q100.png" alt="People who suffer from asthma, lung disease, and heart disease are all put at additional risk when they are exposed to high ozone levels." width="100%"/></a> <div class="photo_links"><a class="lightbox enlarge" title="People who suffer from asthma, lung disease, and heart disease are all put at additional risk when they are exposed to high ozone levels." href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/15/TT-air-quality-graphics-health-problems_png_800x1000_q100.png">Enlarge</a><cite>graphic by Emily Albracht</cite></div> <div class="photo_caption">People who suffer from asthma, lung disease and heart disease are at additional risk when they are exposed to high ozone levels.</div> </div> <p>Dallas-Fort Worth ozone levels have long been well above federal standards set to protect health, and scientists are pushing for those standards to be even lower.</p> <p>But some of them fear Texas officials and politicians are too focused on bolstering the state’s explosive economic growth and energy boom to comprehensively deal with the problem.</p> <p>“It’s very political, a lot of economic issues involved,” Haley said.</p> <p>In public statements, Shaw <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://science.house.gov/sites/republicans.science.house.gov/files/documents/hearings/091511_Shaw.pdf" target="_blank">has argued</a> that requiring expensive pollution controls in coal-fired plants could have an “economic ripple” effect, driving up the price of power and disproportionately affecting poor Texans. </p><div class="ad_container ad_container--adify"> <div class="ad adunit mobile tablet standard" data-adunit="TexasTribune_Content_StoryPage_InsideStory2_468x60"> </div> </div> <p><span style="line-height: 1.35;">And state officials point out that Texas’ air quality has improved significantly since 2000 despite a huge population increase, as nitrogen oxide emissions decreased by more than 50 percent. While that trend has been mirrored nationwide — due in large part to new vehicle pollution standards imposed by the federal government — Texas’ investments in cleaner energy sources and vehicle replacement programs have also played a role, officials say.</span></p> <p>But the steady downward march that ozone levels began in North Texas in 2000 stopped in 2007.</p> <p>The TCEQ says it is committed to reducing ozone levels. Still, in recent years its work has not translated into comprehensive policies or solutions, scientists and advocates say.</p> <p>“The TCEQ staff has done some of the best modeling and sponsored some of the best science in the country, trying to inform their efforts to reduce ozone,” said Daniel Cohan, a professor at Rice University. But he added that “sometimes you can have a paralysis by analysis. … The modeling has been excellent, but a plan has yet to emerge.”</p> <p><strong>Inaccurate Predictions</strong></p> <p>When TCEQ commissioners voted against more restrictions on coal plant emissions last October, they said such a change would be premature because the agency is already working on a federally required plan to reduce ozone levels in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. But in each of the five related plans it has developed since 1991, the agency has predicted that the region would meet federal ozone limits within one to five years — and it has always been wrong.</p> <p>In the 2011 plan, staff said that new federal gasoline standards alone would help ozone levels drop from more than 85 parts per billion to 78 in just two years (the current standard is 75 parts per billion), and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/implementation/air/sip/dfw/ad_2011/AppG_RACM_ado.pdf">rejected</a> dozens of other strategies suggested to improve air quality, such as reducing emissions from cement kilns or coal plants. Today, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/implementation/air/sip/dfw/dfw_ad_sip_2015/DFW-AirQualityUpdate.pdf">levels</a> still hover around 87 parts per billion.</p> <div class="media full_width unprose no_float"><a class="lightbox" title="The ozone levels shown are known as " href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/16/TT-air-quality-graphics-ozone-values_1.png"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021im_/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/16/TT-air-quality-graphics-ozone-values_1.png" alt="The ozone levels shown are known as " width="100%"/></a> <div class="photo_links"><a class="lightbox enlarge" title="The ozone levels shown are known as " href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/16/TT-air-quality-graphics-ozone-values_1.png">Enlarge</a><cite>graphic by Emily Albracht</cite></div> <div class="photo_caption">The ozone levels shown are known as "eight-hour design values." Monitors measure ozone concentrations over eight-hour periods, and regulators calculate the design value by averaging the highest numbers over a three-year period.</div> </div> <p>David Brymer, director of the TCEQ’s office of air, said the agency’s models have improved significantly. And he pointed out that the region’s ozone level is calculated over a three-year period, so the current one includes the unusually hot year of 2011.</p> <p>“That year has kind of skewed us a little bit,” Brymer said. Looking at more recent data, he argues, “it becomes a lot more clear that we’re not really that far off as what it might seem.”</p> <p>The agency now says it<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.nctcog.org/trans/committees/aqtc/110513/Item.4.pdf"> believes</a> that new federal gasoline standards and the increase of newer, more efficient vehicles will allow ozone levels to drop to just over 75 parts per billion by 2018.</p> <p>Local officials aren’t so sure. The Legislature had <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/Documents/Publications/Issue_Briefs/527_TERP.pdf">established a program in 2001</a> creating incentives for better pollution controls on vehicles — by far the biggest contributor to pollution and high ozone levels — but hundreds of millions of those dollars have instead been used to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://blogs.edf.org/texascleanairmatters/2012/12/03/texas-plays-at-collecting-fees-from-ozone-polluters/">balance the state’s budget</a>.</p> <p>Similar budget maneuvers also caused the North Central Texas Council of Governments to lose funds to help low-income residents replace older cars. Chris Klaus, a transportation planner for that organization, said those funds are important in a region where newcomers arrive every day and are on a budget.</p> <p>“They’re bringing their vehicles, and the last thing they want to do is buy a new one,” Klaus said. “The state’s just really shooting themselves in the foot.”</p> <p>Klaus pointed out one positive development for air quality in the region. He said President Obama’s <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/06/03/what-obamas-new-carbon-regulations-mean-texas/">recent pledge to reduce</a> greenhouse gas emissions from power plants would probably result in stronger pollution controls on coal plants, or cause such plants to be replaced by cleaner-burning natural gas and renewable energy sources.</p> <p>But Gov.<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/directory/rick-perry/"> Rick Perry</a><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/06/02/perry-no-fan-epa-carbon-dioxide-plans/"> has called the proposal</a> “the most direct assault yet on the energy providers that employ thousands of Americans, and fuel both our homes and our nation’s economic growth,” and Texas Republicans are already threatening to fight it in court.</p> <p><strong>The Barnett Shale</strong></p> <p>Even if newer cars and less coal-fired power help improve air quality in North Texas in the coming years, scientists and environmental advocates worry about another wild card: natural gas extraction in the Barnett Shale, which took off in the mid-2000s. Some have speculated that activity in the Barnett could be tied to the appearance that the region’s air quality gains have stalled.</p> <p>The shale boom brought a rash of new diesel trucks to the region, along with drilling equipment, compressor stations and tanks. Those can be major emitters of nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds, or VOCs — the building blocks of ozone. Many scientists believe that gas drilling and related activities play a big role in the region’s ozone levels, though they say more research is needed to be sure. </p> <p>“When people dig into the matter a lot deeper than they have, they will find that oil and gas activities do have a significant impact on ozone attainment,” said Jay Olaguer, a senior scientist at the independent Houston Advanced Research Center. Olaguer has studied VOC emissions in the Houston area and modeled what such emissions could do in the Barnett Shale.</p> <p>Olaguer said the TCEQ doesn’t have enough monitoring equipment that can move around in real time — a disadvantage in a business where drilling locations constantly change. In addition, the agency normally relies on companies to report emissions data, but there is no way to independently verify those numbers or<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www7.tceq.state.tx.us/uploads/eagendas/Agendas/2014/6-18-2014/1680AIR.pdf"> keep track</a> of unauthorized emissions. Nor does the agency require companies to respond to emissions surveys.</p> <p>Kuruvilla John, an expert on air quality modeling at the University of North Texas, found that — when controlling for weather and other factors — the region’s ozone levels have been increasing in recent years, and more so in its western portion, where Barnett Shale drilling is prevalent. “These new sources and unconventional sources … were never in the cards a decade ago,” he said. </p> <div class="media full_width unprose no_float"><a class="lightbox" title="The University of North Texas research found that ozone levels increased all across North Texas in the past several years, but more so in the " href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/15/TT-air-quality-graphics-fracking_png_800x1000_q100.png"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021im_/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/15/TT-air-quality-graphics-fracking_png_800x1000_q100.png" alt="The University of North Texas research found that ozone levels increased all across North Texas in the past several years, but more so in the " width="100%"/></a> <div class="photo_links"><a class="lightbox enlarge" title="The University of North Texas research found that ozone levels increased all across North Texas in the past several years, but more so in the " href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/15/TT-air-quality-graphics-fracking_png_800x1000_q100.png">Enlarge</a><cite>graphic by Emily Albracht</cite></div> <div class="photo_caption">University of North Texas research found that ozone levels increased across North Texas in the past several years, but more so in the "fracking regions" — the western portions of Dallas-Fort Worth where Barnett drilling is prevalent — than in the "nonfracking regions."</div> </div> <p>The Barnett Shale Energy and Education Council, a nonprofit set up by a coalition of drilling companies that operate in North Texas, says drillers act responsibly in the Barnett and there is no solid evidence that emissions from their activities are harmful. Ed Ireland, spokesman for the council, added that emissions are limited because the industry can now extract more gas with less activity.</p> <p>“While the number of rigs have remained fairly low … all of the rigs now are much more efficient in the drilling process,” Ireland said. “That’s because of the technology.”</p> <p>The TCEQ says that Barnett drilling does not make a meaningful contribution to high ozone levels — although even its own staff at one point suggested otherwise. In 2008, an agency report recommended that Wise County, a hotbed of natural gas drilling, be added to a list of North Texas counties considered to be in violation of the ozone standard. Even though its population is small, staff <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/implementation/air/sip/hgb/20081615MIS.pdf">wrote</a>, “stationary sources” in Wise County — in other words, facilities like drilling rigs and natural gas compressor stations — were major contributors of nitrogen oxide emissions.</p> <p>Five years later, the TCEQ sued the federal government for following that very recommendation, alleging that the Environmental Protection Agency had a “single-minded commitment against Barnett Shale production” and was using a “hodgepodge of distortions, mischaracterizations and semantic voodoo.”</p> <p>Asked why the agency apparently changed its position on Wise County, TCEQ spokesman Terry Clawson said, “Our subsequent analyses have shown that Wise County does not significantly impact the DFW ozone monitors.” He did not elaborate but said that Wise County itself does not have an ozone monitor. The EPA disagrees, pointing out that a monitor located just outside the county has consistently displayed ozone levels far above the federal standard.</p> <p>The case, which has yet to be heard in federal court, has so far cost the state more than $22,000, according to the attorney general’s office. Legal experts say it’s a long shot for Texas. “You almost never win if you challenge EPA’s models,” said Thomas McGarity, a professor of environmental law at the University of Texas at Austin.</p> <p>In the meantime, the debate continues over the amount of emissions coming from oil and gas operations in the Barnett Shale area. The TCEQ has done<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/implementation/air/ie/pseiforms/Barnett%20Shale%20Area%20Special%20Inventory.pdf"> its own study</a> of Barnett Shale emissions, asking companies for data from thousands of drilling sites in 2009. But when UT-Austin researchers evaluated the TCEQ’s study in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es405770h">research</a> published this year, they found that increased Barnett Shale production and underestimation of the polluting power of certain pieces of equipment meant VOC emissions should be one-third higher than the agency had found.</p> <p>VOCs in particular are considered somewhat of a “double whammy” by scientists and public health professionals — not only are they an ozone precursor, but by themselves, they’re also toxic chemicals that can have a variety of short- and long-term health impacts.</p> <p>“Even if they don’t undergo the chemical reaction to become ozone, they are very, very reactive,” said Amie Lund, a researcher at the University of North Texas who has studied the effects of temporary high emissions of VOCs from vehicle tailpipes on animals. She found that several hours of exposure at such levels could cause the clinical indicators of the onset of a heart attack or stroke, even in animals without chronic health disease. </p> <p>Lund said research like hers about the effects of volatile organic compounds is still in its early stages in the scientific community, so regulators are not likely to pay attention. But recognizing that the lag time between science and policy is long, she is working on communicating her findings directly to the public. “Maybe they can be proactive in protecting themselves,” she said.  <span style="line-height: 1.35; font-size: 15px;"> </span></p> <p><em><span style="line-height: 1.35; font-size: 15px;">Disclosure: Rice University and the University of Texas at Austin are corporate sponsors of The Texas Tribune. <em>A complete list of Texas Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/support-us/donors-and-members/">here</a>.</em></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="line-height: 1.35; font-size: 15px;">Editor's note: An earlier version of this story included an incorrect and abridged transcription of a quote from TCEQ Chairman Bryan Shaw.</span></em></p> </div> <aside> <ul class="social_links"> <li class="comment"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/16/dfw-struggles-air-quality-improvements/comments/" title=""> <i class="icon-comments-alt"></i> <span>Comment</span> </a> </li> <li class="republish"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/content/republish/72681/"> <i class="icon-share"></i> <span>Republish</span> </a> </li> <li class="email"> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7f400c0a1d151a1c0b422b171a5a4d4f2b1a071e0c5a4d4f2b0d161d0a111a455a4d4f36115a4d4f3b39285a4d3c5a4d4f33160b0b131a5a4d4f2b0d1e1c0b161011X%20on%20Improving%20Air%20Quality&body=I%20read an article%20that%20you%20might%20be%20interested%20in%20at%20The%20Texas%20Tribune:%20In%20DFW%2C%20Little%20Traction%20on%20Improving%20Air%20Quality%2C%20by%20Neena Satija.%20http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/16/dfw-struggles-air-quality-improvements/%0DThe%20Dallas-Fort%20Worth%20region%20boasts%20a%20growing%20economy%20larger%20than%20that%20of%20many%20countries%20%26mdash%3B%20but%20it%20also%20sports%20some%20of%20the%20worst%20air%20quality%20in%20the%20nation.%20Scientists%20fear%20the%20politics%20of%20economic%20growth%20is%20preventing%20improvements." title="" class="email"> <i class="icon-envelope"></i> <span>Email</span> </a> </li> <li class="twitter"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://twitter.com/share?text=In DFW, Little Traction on Improving Air Quality&url=http://trib.it/1r2CKPM&via=TexasTribune&related=TexasTribune,TribData"> <i class="icon-twitter"></i> <span>Tweet</span> </a> </li> <li class="facebook"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/16/dfw-struggles-air-quality-improvements/"> <i class="icon-facebook"></i> <span>Recommend</span> </a> </li> </ul> </aside> <footer> <div class="grid"> <div class="cell w-6"> <aside class="sidebar_block related content_list"> <header> <h2>Related Content</h2> </header> <dl> <dt> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/15/ship-channel-at-center-of-climate-change-debate/">Video: Ship Channel Fueling Industry, Debate</a> </dt> <dd> <ul class="meta short separator relative-time"><li class="byline"> by <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/rocha-alana/">Alana Rocha</a></li><li><time datetime="Tue, 15 Jul 2014 06:00:00 -0500" title="2014-07-15 06:00"> July 15, 2014 </time></li></ul> </dd> <dt> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/13/growth-adds-denial-and-vulnerability-climate-chang/">Climate Scientists: Texas is Missing an Opportunity</a> </dt> <dd> <ul class="meta short separator relative-time"><li class="byline"> by <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/neena-satija/">Neena Satija</a></li><li><time datetime="Sun, 13 Jul 2014 06:00:00 -0500" title="2014-07-13 06:00"> July 13, 2014 </time></li><li class="comments"><a class="comments" href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/13/growth-adds-denial-and-vulnerability-climate-chang/comments/"><span class="value">18</span><span class="label">Comments</span></a></li></ul> </dd> <dt> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/11/26/epa-proposes-ozone-crackdown-rankling-texas-offici/">EPA Proposes Ozone Crackdown, Rankling Texas Officials</a> </dt> <dd> <ul class="meta short separator relative-time"><li class="byline"> by <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/jim-malewitz/">Jim Malewitz</a></li><li><time datetime="Wed, 26 Nov 2014 11:54:26 -0600" title="2014-11-26 11:54"> Nov. 26, 2014 </time></li><li class="comments"><a class="comments" href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/11/26/epa-proposes-ozone-crackdown-rankling-texas-offici/comments/"><span class="value">17</span><span class="label">Comments</span></a></li></ul> </dd> <dt> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/10/21/battle-over-science-ozone-pollution/">Texas on Lonely Side of Battle Over Ozone Pollution</a> </dt> <dd> <ul class="meta short separator relative-time"><li class="byline"> by <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/neena-satija/">Neena Satija</a></li><li><time datetime="Tue, 21 Oct 2014 06:00:00 -0500" title="2014-10-21 06:00"> Oct. 21, 2014 </time></li><li class="comments"><a class="comments" href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/10/21/battle-over-science-ozone-pollution/comments/"><span class="value">29</span><span class="label">Comments</span></a></li></ul> </dd> </dl> </aside> </div> <div class="cell w-6"> <aside class="sidebar_block related"> <header> <h2>Related Tribpedia</h2> </header> <ul class="related topics indent sans-serif"> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/tribpedia/barnett-shale/">Barnett Shale</a> </li> </ul> </aside> </div> </div> </footer> </article> <nav class="back_to_top"> <a href="#"><i class="icon-arrow-up"></i> Back To Top</a> </nav> </div> <div class=" rail cell w-4 hide-for-medium-down"> <section class="trib_newsletter"> <form action="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://texastribune.us3.list-manage2.com/subscribe/post?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=68501b81bf" method="post" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" class="validate" target="_blank" novalidate> <header> <h2>Sign Up for The Brief</h2> </header> <p>Our daily news summary</p> <div class="mc-field-group nowrap"> <input type="email" value="" name="EMAIL" class="input_neue required email" id="mce-EMAIL" placeholder="enter your email here"> <input type="submit" value="Submit" name="subscribe" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" class="btn_neue"> </div> <div style="position: absolute; left: -5000px;"><input type="text" name="b_3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db_68501b81bf" tabindex="-1" value=""></div> </form> </section> <section class="ad_container sidebar_block"> <div class="sponsor_image_holder"> <div class="ad adunit tablet standard" data-dimensions="300x250" data-adunit="TexasTribune_Content_StoryPage_ATF_RightRail1_MediumRectangle_300x250"> </div> </div> </section> <section class="sidebar_block content_list"> <header> <h1>New on the Trib</h1> </header> <dl> <dt> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/25/abbotts-office-promised-help-major-donor/">Abbott's Office Promised Help to Major Donor</a> </dt> <dd> <ul class="meta short separator relative-time"><li class="byline"> by <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/jay-root/">Jay Root</a></li><li><time datetime="Thu, 25 Jun 2015 17:40:36 -0500" title="2015-06-25 17:40"> June 25, 2015 </time></li><li class="comments"><a class="comments" href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/25/abbotts-office-promised-help-major-donor/comments/"><span class="value">2</span><span class="label">Comments</span></a></li></ul> </dd> <dt> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/25/paxton-county-clerks-should-wait-direction-gay-mar/">Paxton to County Clerks: Wait for Direction on Gay Marriage</a> </dt> <dd> <ul class="meta short separator relative-time"><li class="byline"> by <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/alexa-ura/">Alexa Ura</a></li><li><time datetime="Thu, 25 Jun 2015 16:35:04 -0500" title="2015-06-25 16:35"> June 25, 2015 </time></li><li class="comments"><a class="comments" href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/25/paxton-county-clerks-should-wait-direction-gay-mar/comments/"><span class="value">75</span><span class="label">Comments</span></a></li></ul> </dd> <dt> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/25/video-health-care-and-the-84th-legislature/">Video: Health Care and the 84th Legislature</a> </dt> <dd> <ul class="meta short separator relative-time"><li class="byline"> by <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/evan-smith/">Evan Smith</a></li><li><time datetime="Thu, 25 Jun 2015 13:45:56 -0500" title="2015-06-25 13:45"> June 25, 2015 </time></li></ul> </dd> <dt> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/25/railroad-commission-executive-director-step-down/">Railroad Commission Executive Director to Retire</a> </dt> <dd> <ul class="meta short separator relative-time"><li class="byline"> by <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/jim-malewitz/">Jim Malewitz</a></li><li><time datetime="Thu, 25 Jun 2015 13:04:25 -0500" title="2015-06-25 13:04"> June 25, 2015 </time></li><li class="comments"><a class="comments" href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/25/railroad-commission-executive-director-step-down/comments/"><span class="value">4</span><span class="label">Comments</span></a></li></ul> </dd> </dl> </section> <section class="ad_container sidebar_block"> <div class="sponsor_image_holder"> <div class="ad adunit tablet standard" data-dimensions="300x250" data-adunit="TexasTribune_Content_StoryPage_BTF_RightRail2_MediumRectangle_300x250"> </div> </div> </section> <aside id="the_most" class="featurebox "> <header class="featurebox-header"> <h1><span>The</span>Most</h1> </header> <div class="featurebox-content tabs ui-tabs"> <ul class="ui-tabs-nav"> <li class="most_commented"> <a href="#most_commented">Commented</a> </li> <li class="most_viewed"> <a href="#most_viewed">Viewed</a> </li> </ul> <div id="most_commented" class="ui-tabs-panel ui-tabs-hide"> <ol> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/23/confederate-statues-vandalized-ut-campus/">After Vandalism, UT to Weigh Future of Confederate Statues</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/25/uttt-poll-texans-wary-domestic-use-military/">UT/TT Poll: Texans Skittish About Domestic Use of U.S. Military</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/22/perry-expresses-support-taking-down-confederate-fl/">Perry: Removing Confederate Flag an "Act of Healing"</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/24/hitting-washington-cartel-cruz-conjures-new-foil/">Hitting "Washington Cartel," Cruz Conjures New Foil</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/25/paxton-county-clerks-should-wait-direction-gay-mar/">Paxton to County Clerks: Wait for Direction on Gay Marriage Ruling</a> </li> </ol> </div> <div id="most_viewed" class="ui-tabs-panel ui-tabs-hide"> <ol> <li style="list-style: none;"> This data is currently unavailable. </li> </ol> </div> </div> <footer class="clearfix featurebox-footer"> <div class="ad adunit tablet standard" data-dimensions="200x38" data-adunit="TexasTribune_Content_TheMostWidget_Bottom_Text_200x38"> </div> </footer> </aside> <section class="ad_container sidebar_block"> <div class="sponsor_image_holder"> <div class="ad adunit tablet standard" data-dimensions="300x250" data-adunit="TexasTribune_Content_StoryPage_BTF_RightRail3_MediumRectangle_300x250"> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wrapper-r"> <footer id="site_footer" class="wrapper-r"> <div class="hide-for-medium-down"> <div class="ad adunit tablet standard" data-dimensions="728x90" data-adunit="TexasTribune_Content_StoryLanding_BTF_Footer_Leaderboard_728x90"> </div> </div> <div id="footer" class="grid"> <dl id="staff_writers" class="cell w-3"> <dt>Writers</dt> <div class="cell w-6"> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/becca-aaronson/">Becca Aaronson</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/julian-aguilar/">Julián Aguilar</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/aman-batheja/">Aman Batheja</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/sophia-bollag/">Sophia Bollag</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/mallory-busch/">Mallory Busch</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/liz-crampton/">Liz Crampton</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/annie-daniel/">Annie Daniel</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/justin-dehn/">Justin Dehn</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/rodney-gibbs/">Rodney Gibbs</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/john-jordan/">John Jordan</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/terri-langford/">Terri Langford</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/jeremy-lin/">Jeremy Lin</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/abby-livingston/">Abby Livingston</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/corrie-maclaggan/">Corrie MacLaggan</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/jim-malewitz/">Jim Malewitz</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/jolie-mccullough/">Jolie McCullough</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/ayan-mittra/">Ayan Mittra</a> </dd> </div> <div class="cell w-6"> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/ryan-murphy/">Ryan Murphy</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/ally-mutnick/">Ally Mutnick</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/david-muto/">David Muto</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/david-pasztor/">David Pasztor</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/ross-ramsey/">Ross Ramsey</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/emily-ramshaw/">Emily Ramshaw</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/reynolds-john/">John Reynolds</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/rocha-alana/">Alana Rocha</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/polo-rocha/">Polo Rocha</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/jay-root/">Jay Root</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/neena-satija/">Neena Satija</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/evan-smith/">Evan Smith</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/morgan-smith/">Morgan Smith</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/patrick-svitek/">Patrick Svitek</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/alexa-ura/">Alexa Ura</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/edgar-walters/">Edgar Walters</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/matthew-watkins/">Matthew Watkins</a> </dd> </div> </dl> <div id="footer_topics" class="cell w-3"> <h6>Sections</h6> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/economy/" data-section="economy"> Economy </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/education/" data-section="education"> Education </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/energy-and-environment/" data-section="energy-and-environment"> Energy & Environment</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/government/" data-section="government"> Government </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/health-and-human-services/" data-section="health-and-human-services"> Health & Human Services </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/law-and-order/" data-section="law-and-order"> Law & Order </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/people/" data-section="people"> People </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/politics/" data-section="politics"> Politics </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/race-and-immigration/" data-section="race-and-immigration"> Race & Immigration </a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/transportation/" data-section="transportation"> Transportation </a></li> </ul> </div> <dl id="offsite_outlets" class="cell w-3"> <dt>TT Social Media</dt> <dd> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://facebook.com/texastribune" title="Facebook" class="external"><span class="favicon facebook"></span>Facebook</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://twitter.com/texastribune" title="Twitter" class="external"><span class="favicon twitter"></span>Twitter</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://youtube.com/user/thetexastribune" title="YouTube" class="external"><span class="favicon youtube"></span>YouTube</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://instagram.com/texas_tribune" title="Instagram" class="external"><span class="favicon instagram"></span>Instagram</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://www.linkedin.com/company/texas-tribune" title="LinkedIn" class="external"><span class="favicon linkedin"></span>LinkedIn</a> </dd> <dd class="hidden"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://plus.google.com/116406259333166116089" class="external" rel="publisher">Google+</a> </dd> </dl> <ul id="footer_nav" class="cell w-3"> <li>© 2015 The Texas Tribune</li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/about/" title="About Us">About Us</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/support-us/donors-and-members/" title="Who Funds Us?">Who Funds Us?</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/terms-of-service/" title="Terms of Service">Terms of Service</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/republishing-guidelines/" title="Republishing Guidelines">Republishing Guidelines</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/ethics/" title="Code of Ethics">Code of Ethics</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/privacy/" title="Privacy Policy">Privacy Policy</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#583136292d312a313d2b182c3d20392b2c2a313a2d363d76372a3f" title="Contact Us">Contact Us</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/corrections/" title="Corrections">Corrections</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/feeds/" title="Feeds">Feeds</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/mobile/" title="Mobile">Mobile</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/advertise/" class="advertise">Advertise</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20150626030021/http://www.texastribune.org/signup/" title="Newsletter Signup">Newsletter Signup</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://support.texastribune.org/" title="Donate" class="donate">Donate</a> </li> </ul> </div> </footer> </div> <div class="hide-for-medium-down"> <div class="ad adunit tablet standard" data-dimensions="1x1" data-adunit="TexasTribune_Content_StoryPage_Invisible_1x1"> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021js_/https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/COMPRESSED/js/38cc1e8308b2.js"></script> <script> tt.ads.addTarget("content", "story"); tt.ads.addTarget("slug", "dfw-struggles-air-quality-improvements"); tt.ads.addTarget("tribpedia", ["barnett-shale"]); tt.ads.addTarget("sections", ["front-page/", "energy-and-environment/"]); try { tt.ads.addTarget("is_member", "no"); tt.ads.addTarget("logged_in", "no"); var tt = tt || {}; tt.username = ''; } catch(e) {} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> window._tpm = window._tpm || []; window._tpm['paywallID'] = '36783210'; window._tpm['trackPageview'] = true; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//web.archive.org/web/20150626030021js_/http://code.tinypass.com/tpl/d1/tpm.js"></script> <script> (function(){ function loadAddThis() { var addthis = document.createElement('script'); addthis.src = document.location.protocol+'//web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=ra-53beb39e1b9725fb&domready=1'; addthis.type = 'text/javascript'; addthis.async = true; var at = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; at.parentNode.insertBefore(addthis, at); } window.onload(loadAddThis()); })(); </script> <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="//web.archive.org/web/20150626030021js_/http://bit.ly/javascript-api.js?version=latest&login=texastribune&apiKey=R_6f6057d6b4eb2cded750a1bfde821d16"></script> <div id="parsely-root" style="display: none"> <div id="parsely-cfg" data-parsely-site="texastribune.org"></div> </div> <script> (function(s, p, d) { var h=d.location.protocol, i=p+"-"+s, e=d.getElementById(i), r=d.getElementById(p+"-root"), u=h==="https:"?"d1z2jf7jlzjs58.cloudfront.net" :"static."+p+".com"; if (e) return; e = d.createElement(s); e.id = i; e.async = true; e.src = h+"//"+u+"/p.js"; r.appendChild(e); })("script", "parsely", document); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> _qevents.push( { qacct:"p-f74d4O38hiiiM"} ); </script> <noscript> <div style="display: none;"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021im_/http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-f74d4O38hiiiM.gif" height="1" width="1" alt="Quantcast"/> </div> </noscript> <script type="text/javascript"> var _sf_async_config={}; /** CONFIGURATION START **/ _sf_async_config.uid = 14324; _sf_async_config.domain = 'texastribune.org'; if (window.tt && tt.currentPage) { if (tt.currentPage.sections) { _sf_async_config.sections = tt.currentPage.sections.join(','); } if (tt.currentPage.authors) { _sf_async_config.authors = tt.currentPage.authors.join(','); } else if (tt.currentPage.authorsText) { _sf_async_config.authors = tt.currentPage.authorsText; } } /** CONFIGURATION END **/ (function(){ function loadChartbeat() { window._sf_endpt=(new Date()).getTime(); var e = document.createElement('script'); e.setAttribute('language', 'javascript'); e.setAttribute('type', 'text/javascript'); e.setAttribute('src', (('https:' == document.location.protocol) ? 'https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/https://a248.e.akamai.net/chartbeat.download.akamai.com/102508/' : 'https://web.archive.org/web/20150626030021/http://static.chartbeat.com/') + 'js/chartbeat.js'); document.body.appendChild(e); } var oldonload = window.onload; window.onload = (typeof window.onload != 'function') ? loadChartbeat : function() { oldonload(); loadChartbeat(); }; })(); </script> <script> (function() { jQuery.scrollDepth(); })(); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ (function(){try{var s,a,i,j,r,c,l=document.getElementsByTagName("a"),t=document.createElement("textarea");for(i=0;l.length-i;i++){try{a=l[i].getAttribute("href");if(a&&a.indexOf("/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection") > -1 && (a.length > 28)){s='';j=27+ 1 + a.indexOf("/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection");if (a.length > j) {r=parseInt(a.substr(j,2),16);for(j+=2;a.length>j&&a.substr(j,1)!='X';j+=2){c=parseInt(a.substr(j,2),16)^r;s+=String.fromCharCode(c);}j+=1;s+=a.substr(j,a.length-j);}t.innerHTML=s.replace(/</g,"<").replace(/>/g,">");l[i].setAttribute("href","mailto:"+t.value);}}catch(e){}}}catch(e){}})(); /* ]]> */ </script> </body> </html>