The Clean Air Act

What Is It?

The Clean Air Act is a federal law. Under the act, EPA sets limits on certain air pollutants—including how much can be in the air anywhere in the United States. This helps to ensure basic health and environmental protection from air pollution for all Americans. The Clean Air Act also gives EPA the authority to limit emissions of air pollutants coming from sources such as chemical plants, utilities, and steel mills.

How was the Clean Air Act Established?

Recognizing the need to reduce and limit air pollution, Congress passed the original Clean Air Act of 1963 to provide funding to study and clean up air pollution. A much stronger Clean Air Act, passed in 1970, was the first comprehensive federal response to address air pollution. In this same year, Congress also created EPA and gave it the primary role of enforcing the law. Since 1970, EPA has been responsible for various Clean Air Act programs to reduce air pollution nationwide.

In 1990, Congress revised and expanded the Clean Air Act, giving EPA broader authority to implement and enforce regulations reducing air pollutant emissions. The 1990 amendments also emphasized more cost-effective approaches to reduce air pollution.

See EPA’s Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act for more information.

How Is NRMRL Involved?

EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL) is one of the foremost organizations in the United States dedicated to reducing air pollution.

The organizations listed below work continuously to help control, reduce, or mitigate air pollution, both indoors and outdoors, through:

• Researching, developing, and demonstrating technologies. NRMRL’s Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division (APPCD) conducts research, and develops and demonstrates air pollution prevention and control technologies for key industries, electric power plants, incinerators, indoor environments, and sources of greenhouse gases.

• Verifying the performance of new, innovative technologies. NRMRL’s Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program verifies the performance of innovative technologies that have the potential to improve protection of human health and the environment. Verified technologies are included for all environmental media—air, water, and land.

• Verifying the performance of commercial-ready technologies. NRMRL’s Air Pollution Control Technology Center verifies commercial-ready technologies that control stationary and mobile air pollution sources, and mitigate the effects of indoor air pollutants. This center is a part of both ETV and APPCD.

What Are Some Examples of NRMRL’s Work Under the Clean Air Act?

Research

NRMRL’s extensive air research includes:

• A study of pollutants originating from open burning of household waste in “burn barrels.”

• Studies on emissions from burning hazardous wastes in various types of industrial boilers and incinerators.

• Projections of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in various scenarios, and development of realistic ways to mitigate those emissions. This contributes to reduction of GHG and will help us adapt to inevitable climate changes.

• Characterization and modeling of motor vehicle emissions, to measure the concentrations of pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitric oxide in exhaust emissions, and to better understand relationships between vehicle activity and emissions.

• Research on indoor air cleaners, including their performance and effectiveness. The research also includes providing guidance on how to use air cleaners effectively and developing ways to improve their application for indoor air quality control.

Technology Verification

NRMRL’s verification products provide reliable data on technology performance. These products include verification reports and statements, test/quality assurance plans, and verification protocols for:

• Air monitoring systems, including those that monitor for ammonia, dioxins, hydrogen sulfide, mercury, and many other air pollutants.

• Air pollution control systems, including those for filtration, dust suppression, indoor air quality, and other air pollution control methods.

• Sources of greenhouse gases, including advanced energy systems, the oil and gas industry, transportation, and others.

Tools

NRMRL has produced the following tools:

• Pollution prevention guides, which offer alternative solutions for cleaning/degreasing parts, and cleaning up paints and coatings. Using such alternatives helps to reduce the exposure of ozone-depleting chemicals, volatile organic compounds, and hazardous air pollutants to the atmosphere.

• Landfill Gas Emissions Model (LandGEM), a software tool that can be used to estimate emission rates for total landfill gases, methane, carbon dioxide, non-methane organic compounds, and individual air pollutants from municipal solid waste landfills.

• A CD ROM tool to help the healthcare sector comply with pollution regulations, including the Clean Air Act.