EPA Finalizes Air Quality Plan For Texas

The United States Environmental Protection Agency recently finalized a rule to address air quality concerns in Texas that may have impacts on visibility in the Upper Buffalo Wilderness Area and other national parks.  The EPA had earlier rejected a plan submitted by Texas under the Clean Air Act's regional haze program, finding that Texas had not required any new pollution controls to be implemented at Texas power plants.  The finalized EPA rule, which can be found here, requires reductions in sulfur dioxide emissions at several of Texas’ older power plants.

The Clean Air Act requires states to plan for methods to improve visibility at national parks and wilderness areas under the regional haze program.  In November, United States District Court Judge Leon Holmes ordered Arkansas to revisit and finalize its own regional haze plan by August 31, 2016.