New York must now prove it is tracking air pollution from specific sources

The US environmental regulators are proposing to approve New York's plan to track air pollution. This means New York must now certify that it is collecting data on specific emissions that cause ozone.

For years, states had to meet air quality standards, but the rules for proving they were tracking the pollution sources were less clear. This approval means New York now has a concrete, federally approved method for collecting and reporting emissions data. This makes it harder for the state to claim it is meeting air quality goals without actually knowing where the pollution comes from.