The North Central Texas Council of Governments' (NCTCOG) development of the Dallas-Fort Worth Air Quality Improvement Plan – Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (DFW AQIP-CCAP) has continued, and they will be hosting public meetings this summer to request feedback from residents and other stakeholders. The goal of the DFW AQIP-CCAP is to create a roadmap to improve regional air quality over the next 25 years.
An upcoming public input opportunity will be held through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) related to new rulemaking to establish the TCEQ Section 185 fee program.
If the DFW region does not meet federal air quality standards by 2027, Section 185 fees will be assessed against stationary emissions sources in North Texas. The Section 185 rulemaking outlines key details of how these fees will be collected, exemptions, and more. For more information on the proposed rulemaking and the region’s history of nonattainment, go to https://www.tceq.texas.gov/rules/prop.html.
You can submit comments on the Section 185 fee program in two ways:
• Attend a virtual public hearing on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 2 p.m. Details and access to the hearing are available on the TCEQ Public Hearings https://www.tceq.texas.gov/rules/hearings.html; or
• Submit written comments by going to https://tceq.commentinput.com/comment/search and selecting Section 185 Fee For The 2008 Ozone NAAQSRPN 2023-131-101-AI.
Texas is a major flyway for migrating birds. Outdoor lighting can be deadly for the wildbirds who mostly travel by night. The lights distract and disorient them leading to exhaustion and building collisions. Houston and Dallas are ranked in the top three most dangerous cities for migrating birds.
