Coastal Bend Air Quality
City of Corpus Christi
CORPUS CHRISTI (News Release) – City Council approved authorizing a funding agreement between the City of Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend Air Quality Partnership (CBAQP). The agreement formalizes the parties’ joint mission to achieve and maintain a healthier environment for the Corpus Christi community.
CBAQP was established in 1995 when the region was very close to violating ozone air quality standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Participants in the CBAQP include the City of Corpus Christi, the Port of Corpus Christi, both Nueces and San Patricio Counties, local businesses and industries, local universities and colleges, area public agencies, the Coastal Bend Council of Governments, the military, and local media.
CBAQP monitors local ozone levels, seeks funding for air quality programs, and identifies and implements programs best suited to reduce ozone-causing emissions in our region. Going forward, the CBAQP has set forth several Strategic Plan Goals to:
Advance regional dialogues about the effects of air quality on health, environment, economy, and overall quality of life;
Educate and advise industry, government, small businesses, and the public on air quality issues;
Promote voluntary improvement measures and emission-reducing activities;
Propose and promote programs for monitoring air quality; and
Maintain current regional air quality status for federally regulated air pollutants in compliance with EPA standards.
With the help of CBAQP, the Corpus Christi Urban Airshed has been within required attainment levels of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Ozone since 1995. Further, the current required standard for the airshed is 70 parts per billion (ppb) and the three-year average is below that level at 60 ppb.