Dive into the data
Continuous monitoring done by TCEQ currently on hold
The official TCEQ monitor used to determine air quality in our area WAS positioned at 2725 Old Fort Worth Road, Midlothian, Texas. It was taken down in April 2022 due to construction in the area, so no comprehensive data has been gathered since this time. The state agency is not expected to reactivate monitoring until December 2023.
Use TCEQ tools to explore historical data on individual pollutants over various dates until April 2022.
Does our air quality meet current EPA targets?
Monitoring was disrupted in April 2022. Until then, we assessed monitoring data monthly and have recorded information on the spreadsheet below.
RED shading indicates values exceeding EPA targets.
YELLOW shading indicates values at EPA target threshold.
EPA regulations are based primarily on average output over time, which historically have been met for most pollutants, including PM 2.5.
HOWEVER
The EPA target for "safe" PM 2.5 is exceeded at some point almost every day and has been exceeded multiple days for each month on record.
See Health effects for recent data on health risks of PM 2.5, even at levels below current EPA targets.
In addition, the DFW area has long been an area of "non-attainment" for ozone, meaning that we are not meeting EPA targets for ozone levels — and this has recently gotten worse, as DFW was downgraded from moderate to serious non-attainment in August 2019. TCEQ's response is to try to reduce the regulation rather than fix the problem (see link below).
General summary of individual pollutants recorded in Midlothian
NOTE: The EPA-published standards for air pollutants use different units of measurement than the data provided on the TCEQ site (just makes things even more complicated). We share data using EPA's units of measurements to make the data we present easier to interpret.
TCEQ MONITOR COMPARE UPDATED.xlsxGood news! New PM standards proposed by the EPA
The EPA released recommendations for new particulate matter (PM) levels in January 2023. They advise tightening up the primary annual standard for PM 2.5 from the current 12 micrograms per cubic meter to 9–10 micrograms per cubic meter. For now, the EPA is retaining the primary 24-hour standard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter, but is taking comments on lowering that to 25 micrograms per cubic meter.
Midlothian Breathe supports EPA's proposed lower limits on PM pollution
The most recent annual emissions data from TCEQ continues to show that Midlothian's Holcim cement plant is still the largest source of total pollution emitted in the 10-county nonattainment area in North Texas. These 10 counties have been out of compliance with federal clean air laws for several years and include:
Ellis
Dallas
Tarrant
Denton
Parker
Wise
Rockwall
Kaufman
Johnson
Collin
Also of note, Holcim's emissions have decreased over the past three reporting periods: 7,952.6 tons per year in 2019; 7,569.4 tons in 2020; and 6,515.4 tons in 2021.
Get help understanding air quality standards
They're explained on the EPA site.