Early in 2009, following a contracted engineering study, Williamson County provided a response to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on compliance with Ambient Air Quality Standards, particularly in regard to ground level ozone. In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Williamson County was recommended to be excluded from a list of non-complying counties.
Subsequent to those actions EPA was sued over their 2008 determination for a new ground level ozone standard of 75 parts per billion. EPA is in process of responding to the suit and the current expectation is that the 2008 standard will be abandoned and a new, lower standard will be adopted. Under a new and lower standard it is possible that Williamson County will be listed as non-complying. A determination of non-compliance will have ramifications on development activities, particularly regarding transportation issues.
This presentation will provide background on issues related to the EPA's expected actions and possible non-compliance determination for the county.
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