The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has to decide whether air quality improvement plans in southeastern Arizona meet Clean Air Act standards.
The federal court mandate says part of a larger court-approved settlement affecting communities in five western states.
In Nogales on the Arizona-Mexico border, vehicle emissions are one of the main sources of air pollution. Suspended dust particles released from unpaved roads in the region were also behind the area’s need for air quality improvement effort.
The court ruled the EPA needs to decide within a year.
