Visit the Energy Systems Laboratory Homepage.
An Introduction to Texas Senate Bill 5
Abstract
Four areas in Texas have been designated by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as
non-attainment areas because ozone levels
exceed the National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) maximum allowable limits:
Beaumont-Port Arthur, El Paso, Dallas-Ft.
Worth, and Houston-Galveston-Brazoria. The El
Paso area also violates the NAAQS maximum
allowable limits for carbon monoxide and
respirable particulate matter. These areas face
severe sanctions, such as loss of access to federal
transportation funds, if attainment is not reached
by 2007. Four additional areas in the state are
also approaching national ozone limits,
including: Austin, Corpus Christi, San Antonio,
and the Longview-Tyler-Marshall area. Ozone is
formed when oxides of nitrogen (NOx), volatile
organic compounds (VOCs), and oxygen (O2)
combine in the presence of strong sunlight.
In response to this effort the Texas Natural
Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC)
developed a strategy with the EPA that reduced
VOCs from large regulated, stationary point
sources by over 50 percent during the 1990 to
1996 period. Although this first strategy was
very successful, levels of ozone failed to meet
the national standards, and a second strategy had
to be developed to achieve compliance with the
ozone standard.
In 2001, the Texas State Senate passed Senate
Bill 5 (SB 5) to further reduce ozone levels by
encouraging the reduction of emissions of NOx
by sources that are currently not regulated by the
TNRCC, including area sources (e.g., residential
emissions), on-road mobile sources (e.g., all
types of motor vehicles), and non-road mobile
sources (e.g., aircraft, locomotives, etc.). This
paper outlines the legislation, and
responsibilities of the different
government entities and the important role that
private industry is being encouraged to play.
Citation
Haberl, J. S.; Culp, C.; Yazdani, B.; Fitzpatrick, T.; Turner, W. D. (2002). An Introduction to Texas Senate Bill 5. Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu); Texas A&M University (http://www.tamu.edu). Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /4567.