All Topics  
Clean Air Act (1970)

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Clean Air Act (1970)
 
 
  Topics Clean Air Act (1970) Topic Home

The Clean Air Act Extension of 1970 (84 Stat. 1676, Public Law 91-604) is a United States federal law that requires the Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an List of United States federal agencies of the federal government of the United States charged to Regulation of chemicals and protect human health by safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land....
 (EPA) to develop and enforce regulations to protect the general public from exposure to airborne contaminants
Air pollution

Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damages the natural environment, into the Earth's atmosphere....
 that are known to be hazardous to human health. This law is an amendment to the Clean Air Act
Clean Air Act

A Clean Air Act describes one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of smog and air pollution in general. The use by governments to enforce clean air standards has contributed to an improvement in human health and longer life spans....
 originally passed in 1963. It is sometimes called the Muskie Act because of the central role Senator Edmund Muskie
Edmund Muskie

Edmund Sixtus "Ed" Muskie was an United States Democratic Party politician from Maine. He served as Governor of Maine, as United States Senate, and as United States Secretary of State....
 played in drafting the content of the bill.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Clean Air Act (1970)'
Start a new discussion about 'Clean Air Act (1970)'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The Clean Air Act Extension of 1970 (84 Stat. 1676, Public Law 91-604) is a United States federal law that requires the Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an List of United States federal agencies of the federal government of the United States charged to Regulation of chemicals and protect human health by safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land....
 (EPA) to develop and enforce regulations to protect the general public from exposure to airborne contaminants
Air pollution

Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damages the natural environment, into the Earth's atmosphere....
 that are known to be hazardous to human health. This law is an amendment to the Clean Air Act
Clean Air Act

A Clean Air Act describes one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of smog and air pollution in general. The use by governments to enforce clean air standards has contributed to an improvement in human health and longer life spans....
 originally passed in 1963. It is sometimes called the Muskie Act because of the central role Senator Edmund Muskie
Edmund Muskie

Edmund Sixtus "Ed" Muskie was an United States Democratic Party politician from Maine. He served as Governor of Maine, as United States Senate, and as United States Secretary of State....
 played in drafting the content of the bill.

In accordance with Sections 111 and 112 of the CAA, EPA established New Source Performance Standard
New Source Performance Standard

New Source Performance Standards are pollution control standards issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency . The term is used in the Clean Air Act to refer to air pollution emission standards, and in the Clean Water Act referring to standards for discharges of industrial wastewater treatment to surface waters....
s (NSPS) and National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants

The National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants are emission standard set by the United States United States Environmental Protection Agency for an Air pollution not covered by National Ambient Air Quality Standards that may cause an increase in fatalities or in serious, irreversible, or incapacitating illness....
 (NESHAP) to protect the public.

The Clean Air Act was made federal law in 1970 and is listed under the . The Clean Air Act is significant in that it was the first major environmental law
Environmental law

Environmental law is a complex and interlocking body of statutes, common law, treaties, conventions, regulations and policies which, very broadly, operate to regulate the interaction of human and the rest of the Environment or natural environment, toward the purpose of reducing or minimizing the impacts of human activity, both on the natural...
 in the United States to include a provision for citizen suit
Citizen suit

In the U.S., a citizen suit is a lawsuit by a private citizen to enforce a statute.Citizen suits come in three forms. First, a private citizen can bring a lawsuit against a citizen, corporation, or government body for engaging in conduct prohibited by the statute....
s.

Enforcement by states

In the creation of the act the federal government charges the Environmental Protection Agency with enforcing the CAA in 49 states (California is exempt). However, the EPA has allowed the individual states to elect responsibility for compliance with and regulation of the CAA within their own borders in exchange for funding. The election is not mandatory and in some cases states have chosen to not accept responsibility for enforcement of the act and force the EPA to assume those duties. In order to take over compliance with the CAA the states must write and submit a State Implementation Plan
State Implementation Plan

A State Implementation Plan is a United States state plan for complying with the federal Clean Air Act, administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency....
 (SIP) to the EPA for approval. The SIP must meet the minimum criteria established by the EPA. The SIP becomes the state's legal guide for local enforcement of the CAA. For example, in the case of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island General Law Title 23 Chapter 23 Section 2 (RIGL 23-23-2) states that it is a state policy requirement to comply with the Federal CAA through the SIP. The state SIP delegates permitting and enforcement responsibility to the state Department of Environmental Management (RI-DEM).

See also

  • Environmental policy of the United States
    Environmental policy of the United States

    The environmental policy of the United States of America is federal governmental action to regulate activities that have an environmental impact in the United States....
  • Clean Air Act (1990)
    Clean Air Act (1990)

    The 1990 Clean Air Act is a piece of Environmental policy of the United States relating to the reduction of smog and air pollution. It follows the Clean Air Act in 1963, the Clean Air Act Amendment in 1966, the Clean Air Act , and the Clean Air Act Amendments in 1977....


External links