HERE COMES THE SUN (AND SMOG) OZONE SEASON BEGINS
3/3/2025
Several NCTCOG-led initiatives combat the negative impact of ground-level ozone and help improve air quality
March 3, 2025 (Arlington, TEXAS) – March ushers in the joys of spring: warmer temperatures, March Madness, spring break. But it also signals the return of a less welcome North Texas visitor: ozone season.
In North Central Texas, ozone season lasts from March 1 through Nov. 30. This is the window of time in which there’s a greater risk of ground-level ozone, a harmful secondary air pollutant formed by the interaction of sunlight, heat and “precursor” pollutants, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx).
While ozone precursors come from multiple sources, vehicles, construction equipment, locomotives and aircraft account for about 60% of emissions. From December to February, North Texans tend to get a break from ground-level ozone since temperatures usually cool off.
The 2024 ozone season closed with a design value of 83 parts per billion (ppb), meaning Dallas-Fort Worth remains out of compliance with the federal government’s standards for ozone pollution. There are two such standards for North Texas: one from 2008 that established a limit of 75 ppb and a more recent 70 ppb standard from 2015. (As the new ozone season begins, Dallas-Fort Worth has a current design value of 74 parts per billion.)
Dallas-Fort Worth is currently classified as a “severe” nonattainment zone under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2008 ozone standard and a “serious” nonattainment zone under the 2015 standard; the region has until 2027 to come into compliance.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) continues to support the implementation of various programs and policies to help the area meet attainment and avoid further sanctions. Efforts include:
- SAVING MONEY AND REDUCING TRUCK EMISSIONS (SMARTE) PROGRAM: This NCTCOG initiative promotes fuel savings and emissions reduction for the trucking industry through education and events. The program includes a yearlong web series that covered topics such as the EPA SmartWay Verified Technology program, an initiative designed to reduce truck emissions. For more information on SMARTE, click here.
- DALLAS-FORT WORTH AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN (AQIP): The DFW AQIP initiative has been instituted to help local governments improve air quality, protect public health, and reduce impacts of extreme weather events. The development of this plan is funded through a grant from the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) Program. For more information, click here.
- ENGINE OFF NORTH TEXAS: A regional initiative designed to combat the negative effects of unnecessary vehicle idling. For more information, click here.
North Texas residents can help by:
- USING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Consider using the region’s many mass transit options from Dallas Area Rapid Transit, the Denton County Transportation Authority and Trinity Metro, including buses, trains and on-demand rideshares.
- REDUCING TRIPS, INCREASING PASSENGERS: Carpooling is a good way to reduce use of single-occupancy vehicles, while combining errands can cut back on the number of car trips.
- TAKING PART IN AIR QUALITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS: Air North Texas is NCTCOG’s public awareness campaign, which aims to encourage North Texas residents,, government agencies and businesses to pitch in to the effort to improve the region’s air quality. For more information, visit AirNorthTexas.org.
About the North Central Texas Council of Governments:
NCTCOG is a voluntary association of local governments established in 1966 to assist local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit and coordinating for sound regional development.
NCTCOG's purpose is to strengthen both the individual and collective power of local governments and to help them recognize regional opportunities, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and make joint decisions. NCTCOG serves a 16-county region of North Central Texas, which is centered in the two urban centers of Dallas and Fort Worth. For more information on the Transportation Department, visit www.nctcog.org/trans.
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