Navigation

• Home
   
• Our
  Programs
• Our
  Partners
• Information
  Sources

• Overview
• Key Provisions of the Clean Air Act
• Full Text
• For More Information

Overview

The Clean Air Act is the comprehensive Federal law that regulates air emissions from area, stationary, and mobile sources. This law authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and the environment.

The goal of the Act was to set and achieve NAAQS in every state by 1975. The setting of maximum pollutant standards was coupled with directing the states to develop state implementation plans (SIP's) applicable to appropriate industrial sources in the state.

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 the deadlines. The 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act 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.

Key Provisions of the Clean Air Act

SUBCHAPTER I--PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

SUBCHAPTER II--EMISSION STANDARDS FOR MOVING SOURCES

SUBCHAPTER III--GENERAL PROVISIONS

SUBCHAPTER IV--NOISE POLLUTION

SUBCHAPTER IV-A--ACID DEPOSITION CONTROL

SUBCHAPTER V--PERMITS

SUBCHAPTER VI--STRATOSPHERIC OZONE PROTECTION

For More Information

• Clean Air Act 112(r) - Frequent Questions