In the 1970s, Houston was not the essence of style.

Rather, it was a dirty and sometimes dangerous place to work and live.

And maybe not the place you would pick to raise a family. 

But that promised to change. 

In 1970, the Federal Clean Air Act was passed and Houston was given until 1975 to clean things up. In 1974 the city, not yet ready to meet the got a two year extension.

But Houston missed the federal deadline. The dirty brown ozone that enshrouds the skyline and sends children to emergency rooms was still there.

But the city had asked for an extension. 

Jane Laping says the extensions have slowed the process for 37 years.

“It’s just ingrained in its history,” she said. 

Her organization Mothers for Clean Air detailed the city's history in which it has never met a major environmental deadline.

Not once in 37 years, she said.

"We can't just keeping putting up a smoke screen that it’s not important. It is. It's taking jobs,” complained Laping.

The extensions now give Houston until 2018 to finally meet the ozone standard. That is if there is not another extension.

"I get calls. People call asking where to live,” said Laping. "When they tell me they have families, I tell then that they can find a better place to live."