EPA failed for 18 years to make Texas and California check likely major polluters
A July 24, 2024 EPA Office of Inspector General report (No. 24-P-0049) found that since at least 2006, EPA failed to ensure that two of the country's largest delegated air agencies -- the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and California's South Coast Air Quality Management District -- identified and inspected 'synthetic minor' sources large enough that, without enforceable permit limits, they could be emitting at major-source pollution levels (SM-80s). The OIG attributed this to EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and Regions 6 and 9 failing to conduct in-depth evaluations, having no formal SM-80 requirements, and relying on unenforceable guidance instead of binding rules.
From at least 2006, the EPA did not ensure that two large, delegated agencies, the TCEQ and California's South Coast Air Quality Management District, identified a subset of synthetic-minor sources of air pollution, or SM-80s.
Report No. 24-P-0049: The EPA Did Not Ensure that Two of the Largest Air Oversight Agencies Identified and Inspected Potentially Significant Sources of Air Pollution.
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EPA's enforcement office and Regions 6 and 9 sent the OIG a final response with corrective actions and estimated completion dates to resolve the report's recommendations on SM-80 oversight. Source ↗