Skip to Content
Questions or Comments: siprules@tceq.texas.gov

Corpus Christi: Current Attainment Status

Compliance of Corpus Christi–area counties with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

Note: This table is intended to provide a listing of designations and classifications for current, active NAAQS. While NAAQS which have been revoked by the EPA do not appear in this table, some anti-backsliding obligations may continue to apply for revoked standards. This table is to be used for informational purposes only and should not be used to determine regulatory requirements in any of the counties listed.

Corpus Christi Area: Attainment Status by Pollutant

Pollutant

 Primary NAAQS

 Averaging Period

Designation

 Counties

Attainment Deadline

Ozone (O3)*

 0.070 ppm (2015 standard)

8-hour 

Attainment/ Unclassifiable
(Effective Jan 16, 2018)

San Patricio, Nueces 

 

0.075 ppm
(2008 standard)

8-hour

Unclassifiable/ Attainment

San Patricio, Nueces

 

Lead (Pb)

0.15 µg/m3
(2008 standard)

Rolling 3-month average

Unclassifiable/ Attainment

 

 

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

9 ppm

8-hour

Unclassifiable/ Attainment

 

 

35 ppm

1-hour

Unclassifiable/ Attainment

 

 

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

0.053 ppm

Annual 

Unclassifiable/ Attainment 

100 ppb

1-hour

Unclassifiable/ Attainment

 

 

Particulate Matter (PM10)

150 µg/m3

24-hour

Unclassifiable/ Attainment

 

 

Particulate Matter (PM2.5)

12.0 µg/m3 (2012 standard)

Annual (arithmetic mean)

Unclassifiable/ Attainment

 

 

15.0 µg/m3 (1997 standard)

Annual (arithmetic mean)

Unclassifiable/ Attainment

 

 

35 µg/m3

24-hour

Unclassifiable/ Attainment

 

 

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

0.03 ppm**

Annual (Arithmetic Mean)

Unclassifiable/ Attainment

 

 

0.14 ppm**

24-hour

Unclassifiable/ Attainment

 

 

75 ppb

1-hour

Attainment/
Unclassifiable

 

 

*The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revoked the one-hour ozone standard and the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard in all areas, although some areas have continuing obligations under these standards. See ozone history for more information.

**Standard will be revoked one year after the effective date of final designations for the 75 ppb standard.

 For more information on attainment status, visit the EPA's Green Book webpage regarding nonattainment areas for criteria pollutants.

Corpus Christi Attainment Areas

2015 Eight-Hour Ozone Standard Designations: Attainment/Unclassifiable, effective January 16, 2018 ( 82 FR 54232 )
On October 1, 2015, the EPA lowered the primary and secondary eight-hour ozone NAAQS to 0.070 parts per million ( 80 FR 65292 ). San Patricio and Nueces Counties were designated attainment/unclassifiable under the 2015 eight-hour ozone NAAQS, effective January 16, 2018. 

2008 Eight-Hour Ozone Standard Designation: Unclassifiable/Attainment, effective July 20, 2012 ( 77 FR 30088 )  
On March 27, 2008, the EPA lowered the primary and secondary eight-hour ozone NAAQS to 0.075 parts per million ( 73 FR 16436 ).

1997 Eight-Hour Ozone Standard Designation:  Unclassifiable/Attainment, April 30, 2004 ( 69 FR 23858
Counties: San Patricio, Nueces
Stakeholders in Nueces and San Patricio counties expressed a desire to develop an Ozone Flex (O3 Flex) program for the eight-hour ozone standard and sent a letter of intent to the EPA signed by the Mayor of Corpus Christi on October 4, 2004. In response to Corpus Christi’s initiative, the EPA issued national guidelines for the Eight-Hour O3 Flex Program on May 18, 2006, similar to the previous guidance for the One-Hour O3 Flex Program. The purpose of the program is to encourage eight-hour ozone attainment areas nationwide to reduce ozone emissions to continue to meet the NAAQS for ozone. All parties signed the five-year agreement in 2007.

National Ambient Air Quality Standards

The EPA has set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for six principal criteria pollutants: ground-level ozone, lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter. 

No later than one year after promulgation of a new or revised NAAQS for any pollutant, the governor must submit designation recommendations to the EPA for all areas of the state. The EPA must then promulgate the designations within two years of promulgation of the revised NAAQS. Areas that do not meet (or contribute to ambient air quality in a nearby area that does not meet) the NAAQS are designated “nonattainment.” Areas that meet the NAAQS are designated “attainment,” and areas that cannot be classified based on the available information, “unclassifiable.”

For ozone, the federal Clean Air Act establishes nonattainment-area classifications ranked according to the severity of the area’s air-pollution problem. These classifications—marginal, moderate, serious, severe, and extreme—translate to varying requirements with which Texas and nonattainment areas must comply.