Air Plan Approval: Texas RACT Requirements for Dallas-Fort Worth Ozone Nonattainment Area

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) related to Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) requirements for volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area, which is designated a 'Serious' nonattainment area under the 2008 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The revisions, submitted by Texas on May 12 and May 13, 2020, amend 30 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapters 115 (VOC rules) and 117 (NOx rules). These updates implement major source RACT requirements as outlined in Texas's Serious Area Attainment Demonstration SIP revision, which includes both a formal RACT analysis and negative declarations for certain source categories. RACT requirements mandate that major stationary sources of air pollution in nonattainment areas install and operate the most effective emission control measures that are economically and technologically feasible. By approving these SIP revisions, the EPA confirms that Texas's updated rules satisfy federal Clean Air Act obligations for the DFW ozone nonattainment area at the Serious classification level. This approval is part of the broader federal-state cooperative framework under the Clean Air Act, where states develop and EPA approves plans to reduce air pollution and bring nonattainment areas into compliance with federal air quality standards.

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