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April 16, 2004 3:20 PM, EDT

The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday that 474 counties in 31 states are failing to meet federal air quality standards, which could bring stricter emissions controls for motor vehicles and industrial sources.

Most of the regions highlighted by the agency were in California and in the eastern third of the country. If they don’t clean up their air, EPA said they could lose federal highway funding.

Regions not in compliance with the national air quality standards, EPA said, could impose new controls on transportation, require tougher inspections of motor vehicles, mandate the use of cleaner-burning motor fuels and tighten standards on industrial and power plants.

EPA said that despite having the strictest state air pollution laws, California continued to have the dirtiest air.

The Los Angles basin was the only region of the country to be designated as having severe air pollution, the worst of several levels of air pollution.