Throughout the US, the only two cities in the country who are classified with severe smog are Los Angeles and Houston.
Houston was only classified this past week, a classification granted by the EPA, after a request from Governor Rick Perry. With a classification of severe, Houston has been given nine extra years to meet health standards. Now, instead of June 2010, the city and the areas surrounding it have until June of 2019.
The extension comes from a ruling in 1997 that required Houston to meet Ozone limits that were deemed unsafe for public health.
Perry's request sent Houston from moderate, past serious, which would have required Houston to clean up the air by 2013, to severe, which surprised many officials. Others, however, are pleased with Perry's decision, feeling that 2019, was a reasonable time frame to meet the standards.
