The clean water act the clean water act of 1972 set minimum standards for water purity in a. The clean air act caa of 1970 began years of air quality improvement in our country. A summary of the act and its major requirements congressional research service summary this report summarizes the clean air act and its major regulatory requirements. Watershed academy web introduction to the clean water act. A legal resource guide for information relating to the clean air act caa including primary and secondary source materials, quick links, and database resources. Prior to 1990, caa the established a riskbased program under which only a few standards were developed. According to the environmental protection agency, the acts purpose is to protect public health and welfare from different types of air pollution caused by a diverse array of pollution sources. California californias clean air project designed to create a smokefree gaming. In 2004, epa took the position that it had no power under the federal clean air act to regulate greenhouse gas ghg pollution, forcing massachusetts, california and other states to file suit. The federal clean air act california air resources board. Evolution of the clean air act overview of the clean air. The 1990 clean air act amendments revised section 112 to require issuance of technologybased standards for major sources and certain area sources. The clean air act 1970 sameenbanu kazi monroe college abstract environmental maintenance and integration of health standards are a global concern every living human being must put into consideration in their day to day activities. Pdf enforcing the clean air act of 1970 researchgate.
The 1970 clean air act launched an ambitious set of federal programs to establish air quality goals and to impose pollution control technology requirements on new and existing stationary sources and on motor vehicles. Basic elements of the act include national ambient air quality standards for major air pollutants, hazardous air pollutants standards, state attainment plans. Air quality, infant mortality, and the clean air act of 1970. Clean air act term paper free college essays, term. Ideally, over 25 percent of the worlds registered deaths and. Oct 04, 2016 historians of the environmental movement are likely to peg earth day 1970 as a key turning point in the american publics consciousness about environmental problems. The new law, signed at the white house at noon, specifies that the motor car industry must come up with a new engine by. An act to amend the clean air act to provide for a more effective program to improve the quality of the nations air. The clean air act was major legislation passed to control air pollution in the united states. Boost engagement with internal communication videos. Clean air act 1970 actually 1963 why the law was created. Economics of education, health care, health economics, public economics, environment and energy economics. Due to inconsistencies among state air programs, uncertainties in the scientific bases for the various criteria, and the jurisdictional obstacles to resolving regional and transboundary air quality concerns, congress strengthened the federal role in air pollution control in the clean air act of 1970.
The law was amended in 1977 and again in 1990 to extend deadlines but also to specify new strategies for cleaning up the air. Why was the clean air act of 1970 passed i really need to know why the clean air act of 1970 was passed by the congress. Archived from the original pdf on december 9, 2010. May 5, 2003 kenneth chay, ucberkeley and nber, carlos dobkin, ucberkeley ph. Overview of the clean air act and air pollution us epa.
Among other things, this law authorizes epa to establish national ambient air quality standards naaqs to protect public health and public welfare and to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants. For example, the clean air act gave both federal and state governments permission to regulate emissions from stationary sources like industrial plants, as well as mobile sources, like cars. Nov 18, 2010 the clean air actwhose basic structure was established in 1970, and then amended in 1977 and 1990is a united states federal law designed to protect human health and the environment from the effects of air pollution. The clean air act is a federal law written to cover the regulation of air pollution in the united states both fixed sources such as coal power plants and moving sources like automobiles. The new clean air act is signed into law nixon signs the clean air act of 1970. The clean air act of 1970 and adult mortality springerlink. Ppt clean air act clean air act united states air pollution. The clean air act of 1970 by breann harwood on prezi. The clean air act was first adopted in 1963 and amended in 1970, 1977, and 1990. The clean air act caa is the comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. The clean air act james huckabone env320 9102012 siroos mostaghimi the clean air act the clean air act was established in 1970 when the united states government decided to a more drastic role in protecting the countries air from unwanted pollution. The amendments in 1970 were an entirely rewritten version of the original clean air act. Framing occurs mostly when you want to present an issue, or in this case a social problem, in a specific light.
The cwa made it unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source into navigable waters, unless a permit authorized under the cwa was obtained. Critical thinking points i certainly thought of framing, a term rothenberg and best bring about in their texts, many times throughout my research. Pdf the major provisions of the clean air act of 1970 were summarized and their implementations. Although the 1990 clean air act is a federal law covering the entire country, the states do much of the work to carry out the act. The federal clean air act as amended is the key driver for all air pollution control activities in the united states. Todays problems have prompted new questions about the effectiveness of the federal clean air act of 1970.
An interactive history of the clean air act 1st edition. Act, giving the federal government authority to clean up air. Clean air act, passed in 1970 with strong bipartisan support, was. The primary goal of the clean air act is ensuring public health, but the act has a secondary effect of improving the environment by regulating the production of some greenhouse gases.
Air quality, infant mortality, and the clean air act of 1970 kenneth y. Chay and michael greenstone august 2003 we thank david card, doug almond, josh angrist, gary becker, david cutler, john dinardo, carlos. Clean water act became the act s common name with amendments in 1977. Nrdc legislative facts the clean air act is a genuine american success story and one of the most effective tools in u. This legislation authorized the development of comprehensive federal and state regulations to limit emissions from both stationary industrial sources and mobile sources. How us cities would look without the clean air act. A history of the clean air act and environmental protection agency 2, 3key federal legislation related to clean air is summarized below table i. The original clean air act was enacted in 1963 and experienced five significant amendment cycles in 1965, 1967, 1970, 1977, and 1990. The clean air act gave the federal environmental protection agency epa the power it needed to take effective action to fight environmental pollution.
In principle, it was a law that would show excellent results. This act implements a comprehensive program for reducing air pollution focusing on the reduction of ambient that which is present in the. Clean air act united states house of representatives. Its a big job, and although a great deal of progress has been made, it will take time to make the air healthy throughout the country. The caa contains provisions for civil and criminal penalties and. Congress passed the core provisions of the clean air act in 1970.
The very breath of life itself, clean air has been promised to the american people as a legal right by our landmark clean air act since 1970. The clean air act of 1970 and adult mortality mit economics the clean air act of 1970 and adult mortality kenneth chay, carlos dobkin and michael greenstone this version. Sep 20, 2012 section 112 of the caa addresses emissions of hazardous air pollutants. The act which underwent major revisions in 1990 and 2003 deals with ambient air pollution that which is present in the open air as well as sourcespecific air pollution that which can be traced to identifiable sources, such as factories and automobiles. The introduction of catalytic converters for control of hc. The clean air act of 1970 has reduced air pollution by 62 percent, and americans are living healthier, longer lives. History and structure of the clean air act theodore l.
This study utilizes the longrun reduction in total suspended particulates tsps pollution induced by the clean air act of 1970, which mandated aggressive regulation of local polluters in heavily polluted counties. On november 15, 1990, president bush signed into law the clean air act amendments of 1990, the first comprehensive changes to the act in years. November 15, 1990 marks a milestone in clean air act history, the signing of the 1990 amendments. The enactment of the clean air act of 1970 1970 caa resulted in a major shift in the federal governments role in air pollution control. The united states has made great progress since 1970 in cleaning the air, but the job is far from complete. The impact of the clean air act pubmed central pmc. Clean air act of 1970 howard baker center for public policy. The clean air act of 1970 was a major driver in addressing the major pollutants. The clean air act of 1970 set out for the united states a basic, yet ambitious, objective to reduce pollution to levels that protect health and welfare. A recent epa analysis of the clean air act amendments of 1990 caaa found that the benefits from caaa regulation far outweigh the costs by a factor of 30 to 1 with highbenefit estimates exceeding costs 90 to 1 the benefits and costs of the clean air act, 1990 to 2020. The act set out state and federal regulations to limit emissions and the environmental protection agency was established to help enforce the regulations. Ppt clean air act free download as powerpoint presentation. The clean air act amendments of 1990 were signed into law as p.
Environmental protection agency epa introduced rules requiring the use of unleaded gasoline in new cars equipped with catalytic converters. The act was passed in 1963, but important and major amendments were added to the original act in 1970 and 1990. The basic framework of the law and its public health objective have remained intact. The first legislation involving air pollution was enacted in 1955, and authorized funds for air pollution research. State and local governments have passed supplemental legislation to fill in gaps left by the federal mandates.
A study in the failure of government regulation and. In these provisions, the phrases prior to enactment of this act and as amended by this act refer to enactment of the clean air act amendments of 1. The clean air act works center for biological diversity. The clean air act caa of 1970 was the first of the major federal environmental laws. It requires corporations to list pollutants that may adversely affect human health and establishes air quality standards. How us cities would look without the clean air act duration. Their was more cars which caused pollution have i missed any pollution was a major problem before there were as many cars on the road as there were in the 1970s. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Clean air act caa of 1970 a federal act regulating the emission of harmful pollutants into the air. The principal statute addressing air quality concerns, the clean air act was first enacted in 1955, with major revisions in 1970, 1977, and 1990. The clean air act has a proven track record of comprehensive and.
The epa has allowed the individual states to elect. Air amendments of 1970, shall publish proposed regulations. Under the clean air act, the environmental protection agency epa is required to regulate emission of pollutants that. Their was more cars which caused pollution have i missed any pollution was a major problem before there were as many cars on the road as there were in the 1970 s.
To combat air pollution while fossil fuel usage was on the rise the epa was created around this time was a result of the 1955 air pollution act, which allocated money towards researching air pollution the end impact. The clean air act of 1970 was established to strictly to based standards for reducing air pollution caused from new fossilfuels electric power plants and other stationary sources, but this left many already existing sources unregulated. The clean air act is the law that defines epas responsibilities for protecting and improving the nations air quality and the stratospheric ozone. Supreme court ruled that greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the clean air act. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this act see tables for classification, no suit, action, or other proceeding lawfully commenced by the administrator or any other officer or employee of the united states in his official capacity or in relation to the discharge of his official duties under the clean air act 42 u. Nov, 2019 in the united states, the clean air acts include the air pollution control act of 1955, clean air act of 1963, air quality act of 1967, the clean air act extension of 1970, and clean air act amendments in 1977 and 1990. What was the significance of the clean air act of 1970.
The plain english guide to the clean air act pdf epa. To strengthen this automakers argument, we need to find the answer choice that shows that meeting the standards will be more burdensome now than it was in 1970. The federal clean air act fcaa is the federal law passed in 1970, and last amended in 1990, which forms the basis for the national air pollution control effort. The actwhich underwent major revisions in 1990 and 2003deals with ambient air. The obvious counterpoint would be that they were able to use new technology to respond to the restrictions then, so why not now. Healthbased national ambient air quality standards naaqs have been and continue to be the foundation of the caa. Policy evolution under the clean air act harvard environmental. I believe that congress enactment of the 1970 amendments to the clean air act a few months later was an equally significant landmark. To implement the strict new clean air act of 1970, during his first term as epa. In the united states, the clean air acts include the air pollution control act of 1955, clean air act of 1963, air quality act of 1967, the clean air act extension of 1970, and clean air act amendments in 1977 and 1990. The clean air act of 1970 caused a major change in how the federal government chose to approach the regulation of air pollution. Over a million stunning new images at your fingertips.
List of books and articles about clean air act online. These amendments set the stage for protecting the ozone layer, reducing acid rain and toxic pollutants, and improving air quality and visibility. The clean air act the clean air act of 1970 was created with recognition of the fact that pollution sometimes crosses the boundary lines of local jurisdictions and extends into two or more states. What are some pros and cons for the clean air act of 1970.
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