Clean air is important to the health of every living thing. Under the Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA develops and enforces rules and regulations for all entities that emit toxic substances into the air. Our office works with state, local and tribal governments, other federal agencies, businesses and community groups to implement and enforce its regulations. Violators of the CAA are provided options to return to compliance through compliance incentives, compliance assistance and a strong enforcement program.

The CAA includes the following programs.

• New Source Review/ Prevention of Significant Deterioration (NSR/PSD)

The CAA requires all areas of the country to meet or strive to comply with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). One of the key programs designed to achieve compliance with the NAAQS is the New Source Review (NSR) program, a preconstruction review process for new and modified stationary sources. The NSR program has two component parts: the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program for attainment or "clean" areas typically requires new or modified sources to install state-of-the-art pollution controls to ensure that the ambient air quality will not degrade. The non-attainment area NSR program is designed to ensure that any new industrial growth in a non-attainment area will comply with stringent emission limitations (by requiring the most protective pollution controls and emission offsets), with the goal of improving air quality overall to meet the NAAQS. The NSR program requires companies to obtain a permit for new construction or major modifications that substantially increase a facility's emissions of the NAAQS.

• New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)

The Clean Air Act required EPA to create a list of the important categories of stationary sources of air pollution, and to establish Federal standards of performance for new sources within these categories. These standards are known as New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), and apply to newly constructed sources or those that undergo major upgrades or modifications. The standards include both equipment specifications as well as operation and measurement requirements. Chart for New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)

• Air Toxics Enforcement

Section 112 of the Clean Air Act was amended in 1990 to require EPA to issue emission standards and requirements for 189 toxic air pollutants to curb the emission of cancer causing air toxins. This was a massive undertaking, which has resulted in over 100 new rules for industrial and commercial sources of air pollution, from neighborhood dry cleaners to petrochemical complexes. These new rules, called NESHAPs or National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, apply mostly to larger sources, but also some smaller sources of air pollution. The rules require existing and new sources to install controls that are the Maximum Achievable Control Technology or MACT and install certain monitors, keep records and report to the agency that is overseeing them. Chart for National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

• State Implementation Plans/ State and Local Coordination

Under the Clean Air Act, the primary responsibility for planning for attainment and maintenance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) rests with the state and local agencies. Accordingly, state and local air quality agencies are also designated as the primary permitting and enforcement authorities for most Clean Air Act requirements. EPA has oversight authority over state and local actions to ensure national consistency and adherence to Clean Air Act legal principles.

• Title V

Under the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990, states were required to establish programs to issue, review and renew permits to operate for their most important or "major" sources of air pollution. These permits would encompass all Clean Air Act requirements that apply to a source, but impose no new requirements. The primary purpose of these permits is to encourage sources to self examine for compliance. States are in the process of finalizing the issuance of Title V permits, and many sources have completed annual certification processes inherent in the program.

---

State's Compliants/Contacts

Arkansas - public outreach

Louisiana - complaints

New Mexico - air issues hotline

Oklahoma - environmental complaint

Texas - environmental complaint