Georgia will no longer track air pollution in counties that used to be dirty

The US environmental regulators are proposing to let Georgia stop requiring emissions statements in counties that were once out of compliance for ozone pollution. This means industrial facilities in those areas will no longer have to report how much pollution they release.

For years, these emissions statements were how regulators kept tabs on air quality in areas that struggled with ozone. Removing this requirement means there will be less data on actual pollution levels in these specific counties. It also makes it harder to see if air quality is getting worse again, or if new industrial activity is increasing pollution.