Fort Worth leaders first entered an agreement with the state environmental commission in 2021, when the city first received half a million dollars in federal funding to participate in the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s Whole Air Monitoring grant program. The environmental commission is the entity responsible for administering funds from the federal grant program throughout the state.<\/p>\n
The amendments to the agreement, which serve as separate but related contracts, support the city\u2019s effort to provide accurate air pollution data and ensure facilities such as industrial sites are in compliance with air quality regulations, according to a City Council report<\/a>.<\/p>\n The latest grant marks Fort Worth\u2019s fourth and final contract renewal with the state commission. Through the agreement and annual contract renewals, city leaders received a total of just under $2 million to maintain and operate various air monitoring stations, the report states.<\/p>\n The last of the federal money was granted to the city\u2019s monitoring program to detect air pollutants and toxins that could harm human health in Fort Worth and Tarrant County.\u00a0<\/p>\n The amendment requires Fort Worth officials to collect and send filters and data for analysis and perform regular audits and maintenance on the city\u2019s air monitors. Fort Worth leaders are not required to provide matching funds.\u00a0<\/p>\n The $380,000 grant will also open up staff positions for air quality monitoring in the city\u2019s environmental services department, with $290,000 of the grant money to go toward salary. Additional costs for the positions will be recovered by the grant at a rate of 10% and an estimated amount of up to $19,600.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCity leaders will continue to identify all available funding opportunities to support its air monitoring program,\u201d city spokesperson Lola McCartney said when asked how Fort Worth would continue to support the program.\u00a0<\/p>\n With the federal funding coming through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the city expects financial support will continue to be made available, McCartney said.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s environmental services department will be responsible for using the federal grant.\u00a0<\/p>\n The grant money comes as air quality planners with the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the agency responsible for helping North Texas with regional planning, are set to present the final draft of the Dallas-Fort Worth Air Quality Improvement Plan<\/a> by December. The document outlines measures to improve air quality across 16 counties in North Texas, including Tarrant County, in various sectors such as transportation, energy, waste management and water.\u00a0<\/p>\n The plan also identifies major sources of air pollutants in order to improve the region\u2019s air quality through 2050.\u00a0<\/p>\n While North Texas is under the federal limits set for most air pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, the area has exceeded limits on ground-level ozone<\/a> as far back as the 1990s.\u00a0<\/p>\n The region has until 2027 to bring ozone levels to 70 parts per billion or under. If the region is in violation of air quality standards, polluters or major sources of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides could face annual fines of $45 million under the EPA\u2019s Clean Air Act<\/a>, according to the state environmental commission.<\/p>\n The fate of those penalties remains unclear with the anticipated changes in federal environmental law, said University of Texas at Arlington public affairs professor Evan Mistur. Just days after Trump was sworn into office, he vowed to roll back federal policies<\/a> on climate change and air quality. In a June 11 news conference, EPA director Lee Zeldin announced two proposals that would eliminate clean air protections<\/a> for power plant pollution.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLee Zeldin has been very vocal about wanting to change the priorities of the (Environmental Protection Agency),\u201d Mistur said. \u201cI would expect that to definitely translate to cutting back on these restrictions, which is obviously going to make things worse.\u201d<\/p>\n Although federal dollars for Fort Worth\u2019s air quality monitors came from the Department of Homeland Security, Mistur said, environmental regulation and grant cuts can be seen across all levels of the federal government.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cTrump has been very outspoken about: \u2018Environmental regulations are not important. They need to be scaled back,\u2019\u201d Mistur said. \u201cIt would be very fair to expect reductions in terms of environmental funding from agencies across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/COFW_AirQuality_Monitor.jpg\")
Fort Worth\u2019s air quality team maintains and collects data from air quality monitors throughout the city. (Courtesy photo | City of Fort Worth)<\/p>\n
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