According to a press statement, the City of Sunland Park, Familias Unidas del Chamizal, and Sierra Club announced that they are suing the EPA for violating the Clean Air Act by failing to list El Paso as a nonattainment area for ozone. Ozone—or “smog”—is a dangerous air pollutant that contributes to serious health problems such as asthma attacks, heart attacks, and premature deaths. Children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory conditions are at greatest risk from smog pollution.
According to David Baake, attorney for the petitioners, pollution monitors located at the University of Texas at El Paso reported unsafe levels of smog in each of the last three years. Nonetheless, EPA refused to include El Paso on the nonattainment list. Reversal of EPA’s decision would require pollution sources in El Paso to adopt new technologies to reduce their emissions.