Some Houstonians fume over proposed clean air rules

The skyline of Houston, which replaced Los Angeles in September as the smoggiest city in the United States

In this story: A presidential campaign issue Smoggier than Los Angeles Provisions of the plan Too much, or not enough? RELATED STORIES, SITES

HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- In Houston, the nation's smoggiest city, some residents feel the proposed cure for their woeful air quality may be more intolerable than the problem itself.

Jonathan Ammons now mows 30 lawns a week in suburban Houston. But beginning next year, new environmental restrictions may bar him from mowing a lawn before noon in the eight-county Houston area.

"It would mean I would have to go out of business because I couldn't work in the afternoons -- it gets so hot down here," said Ammons.

Mowing limits are part of what Texas environmental officials say are the toughest clean air restrictions ever imposed on an American city.

The measures are aimed at meeting federal clean air standards and reducing ground-level ozone, a respiratory irritant.

Smoggier than Los Angeles

Houston replaced Los Angeles last year as the city reporting the most days in violation of federal smog standards. Los Angeles had the most days in violation again this year -- until last month, when Houston exceeded national smog standards for a 37th day.

Jonathan Ammons mows 30 suburban Houston lawns a week, but he says new environmental restrictions will make him "go out of business"

Texas clean air regulators say because Houston has some of the poorest air quality in the United States, the state faces the loss of $2 billion in federal highway money unless it dramatically lowers ozone emissions in the Houston metro area by 2007.

"We are going to reach out and touch everybody. I think that's tough, but appropriate," said Bob Huston, chairman of the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission, the state agency that wrote the new rules.

The commission scheduled some 14 public hearings recently to field complaints about the new rules.

Provisions of the plan

  •  Petrochemical refineries, the chief source of Houston's ozone pollution, will be forced to cut emissions by 90 percent.

  •  Use of diesel construction equipment and gasoline-powered lawn equipment would be banned from 6 a.m. to noon from April through October.

Texas regulators say the state could lose $2 billion in federal highway funds if ozone emissions are not reduced dramatically

  •  Speed limits on Houston freeways would be set at 55 mph (88 km/h).

  •  Cleaner burning fuels would be ordered to be sold.

  •  Diesel engines on firetrucks, buses and heavy equipment would have to be fitted with catalytic converters.

  •  Large trucks would be limited to five minutes idling time.

  •  All new air conditioning condenser units would be sprayed with a chemical compound that turns ozone into oxygen.

"The nighttime is just another factor to put in that to cause a potential accident," said Steve Pate, who is president of the Houston Contractors Association.

Environmentalists charge that the new restrictions won't work and are designed to provoke a voter backlash against environmental regulation.

"Politicians are telling them it's the law that's wrong. That's extreme when who they should be mad at is the politicians for breaking their promises, for failing to live up to their responsibilities," said Rick Abraham of the nonprofit group Texans United.

The Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission is expected to approve the plan in early December. The state has until the end of the year to submit an acceptable plan to the Environmental Protection Agency or risk curtailed industrial development and the loss of highway funding.

But skeptical environmental groups say air quality in Houston has gotten so bad in recent years that even tougher measures are needed to clean up pollution in America's fourth largest city.

And if the state's plan doesn't satisfy EPA officials, the federal agency intends to take over the air cleanup.

CNN Correspondent Charles Zewe and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
EPA
  •  Vehicle Emissions Guide
Galveston Houston Association for Smog Prevention
Texans United Education Fund

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