The authorities and responsibilities of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) derive primarily from a dozen major environmental statutes. This book provides a concise summary of one of those statutes, the Clean Air Act. It provides a brief history of federal involvement in air quality regulation and of the provisions added by legislation in 1970, 1977 and 1990. It also explains major authorities contained in the Act as well as key terms and references for more detailed information on the Act and its implementation.

The Benefits and Costs of the Clean Air Act from 1990 to 2020

Examines the successes and failures of the Clean Air Act in order to lay a foundation for future energy policy.

To determine the costs & benefits of the Clean Air Act (CAA) enacted before the 1990 amendments, EPA is undertaking a retrospective study, using a sequential, six step methodology. This study will compare the economic, health & environmental conditions that have resulted from the CAA amend. enacted before 1990 with projections of what these conditions would have been without the amend. For the second study EPA will contrast the effects of air quality standards imposed by legislation enacted before 1990 with the effects of all potential post-1990 standards.

Managing the nation's air quality is a complex undertaking, involving tens of thousands of people in regulating thousands of pollution sources. The authors identify what has worked and what has not, and they offer wide-ranging recommendations for setting future priorities, making difficult choices, and increasing innovation. This new book explores how to better integrate scientific advances and new technologies into the air quality management system. The volume reviews the three-decade history of governmental efforts toward cleaner air, discussing how air quality standards are set and results measured, the design and implementation of control strategies, regulatory processes and procedures, special issues with mobile pollution sources, and more. The book looks at efforts to spur social and behavioral changes that affect air quality, the effectiveness of market-based instruments for air quality regulation, and many other aspects of the issue. Rich in technical detail, this book will be of interest to all those engaged in air quality management: scientists, engineers, industrial managers, law makers, regulators, health officials, clean-air advocates, and concerned citizens.