By Chris Gibson, Nick Mills, and Richard Nauert 7 th Period Environmental Science AP 1963, 1965, 1970, 1977, 1990

 The Clean Air Act sets limits on certain air pollutants which ensures basic health protection from air pollutants for Americans  It also gives the EPA the authority to limit emissions of air pollutants from hazardous sources such as steel mills, chemical plants, and utilities.

 The Clean Air Act of 1963 was the first federal legislation regarding air pollution control.  It established a federal program within the U.S. Public Health Service and authorized research into techniques for monitoring and controlling air pollution.  The Clean Air Act has undergone many amendments: 1963: Authorized the development of a national program to address air pollution 1970: Established National Ambient Air Quality Standards, New Source Performance Standards, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, and increased enforcement 1977: Authorized more provisions to improve standards 1990: Authorized programs for Acid Deposition Control, Authorized a program to control 189 toxic pollutants, Established permit program requirements, expanded Air Quality Standards, expanded enforcement drastically  The 1990 Amendments increased emphasis on more cost-effective approaches to reduce air pollution and drastically increased the power of the Clean Air Act  EPA must approve state, tribal, and local agency plans for reducing air pollution.  If the state plan doesn’t meet requirements, EPA can issue sanctions against the state and even take over enforcing the Clean Air Act in that area.

Enforcement  The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for enforcing the Clean Air Act (CAA) in 49 states (California is exempt).  However, in exchange for funding the EPA allows individual states to enforce the CAA.  If a state decides that they would like to assume responsibility for the enforcement of the CAA within their own borders, they must submit a State Implementation Plan to the EPA for approval.  This plan becomes the states’ guide for local enforcement of the CAA.  The Department of Environmental Management within each state is responsible for following and enforcing the State Implementation Plan.  Individual states or tribes may have stronger air pollution laws, but they may not have weaker pollution limits than those set by EPA.

 The EPA funds the enforcement of the Clean Air Act  Federal government provides money to the EPA which then funds the study and the cleanup of air pollution  EPA provides funding for states, local agencies, and tribal nations to enforce the CAA

Reasons For Creation  In 1952, a smog cloud formed in London, England that killed over 3,000 people and became known as London’s “Killer Fog”  In 1948, a smoke cloud formed over Donora, Pennsylvania which killed 20 people and caused 6,000 of the 14,000 residents to become sick  These events and many more caused the government to realize the huge threat to public health and created the Clean Air Act in 1963

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