Establish State Funding Requirements for Local Air Pollution
Agencies  The Texas Air Control Board s enabling statute should
fund only local programs that also are funded by local
contributions.  The Texas Air Control Board (TACB) is the state
s principal authority on air quality and is responsible for
setting air quality and pollution control standa rds. Local
governments have the same powers in their territorial
jurisdictions and are subject to the same federal laws as the
TACB.  Local governments have significant incentives to make
sure that companies within their jurisdictions meet air quality
standards. If an area is designated as a non-attainment area by
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a company that might
emit pollutants is not allowed to build or expand in a non-
attainment area. This limitation could damage an area s economy.
A number of Texas local governments provide air pollution
control services. Five of these programs directly receive
federal grants under Section 105 of the Clean Air