Clean Air Act
The Clean Air Act (CAA) (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) is a comprehensive Federal law that regulates
all sources of air emissions. The 1970 CAA authorized the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect
public health and the environment. The states were directed to develop state
implementation plans (SIP's), which consist of emission reduction strategies with the goal
of achieving the NAAQS by the legislated date.
The Act was amended in 1977 primarily to set new goals (dates) for achieving attainment
of NAAQS since many areas of the country had failed to meet them by the required deadline.
The 1977 amendments also established the Prevention of Significant Deterioration
(PSD) regulations for areas that already meet the NAAQS. The PSD regulations are
designed to prevent any significant deterioration in air quality above an established
baseline level. That way pollutant concentrations may remain well within the ambient
standards.
The 1990 amendments to the CAA in large part were intended to meet unaddressed or
insufficiently addressed problems such as acid rain, ground-level ozone, stratospheric
ozone depletion, and air toxics.
Common
air pollutants regulated by the EPA include nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide
(SO2), particulate matter, carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOC), ozone
(O3), and lead.
The following links provide more information on the Clean Air Act and the various parts
of the EPA regulatory program.
