What Does The Clean Air Act Cover?

The Clean Air Act (CAA) is the comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources .

What will the Clean Air Act do?

The Clean Air Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency the necessary tools to protect our families from a number of harmful pollutants that can cause asthma and lung disease – especially in children. Weakening these standards would allow more pollution in the air we breathe and threaten our children’s health.

What is covered under the Clean Air Act?

The act establishes federal standards for mobile sources of air pollution and their fuels and for sources of 187 hazardous air pollutants , and it establishes a cap-and-trade program for the emissions that cause acid rain. It establishes a comprehensive permit system for all major sources of air pollution.

What are the 10 key elements to the Clean Air Act?

They are particle pollution (often referred to as particulate matter), ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead .

Who does the Clean Air Act apply to?

Under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to regulate emission of pollutants that “endanger public health and welfare.” State and local governments also monitor and enforce Clean Air Act regulations, with oversight by the EPA.

What if there was no Clean Air Act?

Without it, the air we breathe today would be very different. Rather than stretching up into a clear blue skyline, U.S. cities would be polluted with smog , limiting visibility and posing a public health risk to everyone exposed to it.

What are the 4 goals of the Clean Air Act?

Specifically the amendments were designed to curb four major threats to the environment and to the health of millions of Americans: acid rain, urban air pollution, toxic air emissions, and stratospheric ozone depletion .

How can you help enforce the Clean Air Act?

1. Maintain your vehicle by changing oil regularly (every 5,000 kilometers).
2. Keep the engine well-tuned following the owner’s manual.
3. Keep tires properly inflated.
4. Plan trips and observe proper driving habits.
5. Remove unnecessary things from the trunk.

Is the Clean Air Act still in force?

The Clean Air Act “has survived, but it has been damaged because of the constant attacks ,” Ali said. Particularly devastating has been the administration’s effort to undermine the law’s most important pillar, its grounding in science.

What is the Clean Water Act when and why was it started?

Clean Water Act (CWA), also known as Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, U.S. legislation enacted in 1972 to restore and maintain clean and healthy waters. The CWA was a response to increasing public concern for the environment and for the condition of the nation’s waters .

What did the original Clean Air Act specifically target?

It mandated the gradual phasing out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-depleting chemicals. The Clean Air Act of 1990 also placed new regulations on automobile emissions. It set targets for reducing the emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides by vehicles and assembly plants .

What started the Clean Air Act?

Congress designed the Clean Air Act to protect public health and welfare from different types of air pollution caused by a diverse array of pollution sources.

How successful was the Clean Air Act?

After the Clean Air Act’s first 20 years, in 1990, it prevented more than 200,000 premature deaths , and almost 700,000 cases of chronic bronchitis were avoided.

How is the Clean Air Act not effective?

Pollution reduction under the Clean Air Act will cost too much and hinder economic recovery. The Clean Air Act will ship jobs overseas , harm our trade balance or put us behind China and other developing countries who aren’t limiting their greenhouse gas pollution.

What are some consequences for violating the Clean Air Act?

EPA may assess civil administrative penalties of up to $37,500 per day , per violation against federal agencies for noncompliance. The total penalty cannot exceed $295,000 unless EPA and the Department of Justice determine a greater penalty is appropriate. EPA may also issue field citations against federal facilities.

Is the Clean Air Act Enough?

The Clean Air Act has proven a remarkable success. In its first 20 years, more than 200,000 premature deaths and 18 million cases of respiratory illness in children were prevented. ... There is more that needs to be done to fulfill the Clean Air Act’s promise.