Cows in several dairy farms in southern states were recently infected by bird flu, which often is fatal to domestic poultry but has been less lethal to cows, officials say.
More stringent pollution-limiting requirements adopted last month by Texas' environmental regulatory agency will not take effect for up to 10 years in some cases.
Residents and leaders are concerned about the health effects of the area with fine particle exposure, including elevated levels of heart disease, stroke, asthma, cancer and other respiratory issues.