EPA Reconsiders Emissions Testing Requirements in Bexar County

The Environmental Protection Agency reviewed emissions affecting Bexar County, which officials noted are coming from Mexico and impacting local pollution levels. Following meetings with the EPA, the agency wrote to Governor Greg Abbott announcing that it is reconsidering the emissions testing requirement. Bexar County emissions testing was scheduled to begin on November 1, but Councilwoman Misty Spears and Precinct 3 Commissioner Grant Moody are working to pause the requirement. Spears noted that while the EPA is reconsidering, the testing is not officially paused until the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality agrees.

The EPA's reconsideration of the testing requirement could reduce mandatory repair costs for local consumers and businesses in Bexar County. The final decision on the pause depends on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's response to the EPA's review.