The Clean Air Act in a Nutshell: How It Works | US EPA

The Act contains key provisions to control common pollutants which, at the time of the 1970 amendments, formed dense, visible smog in many of the nation's ... Skiptomaincontent Officialwebsitesuse.gov A.govwebsitebelongstoanofficialgovernmentorganizationintheUnitedStates. Secure.govwebsitesuseHTTPS Alock(LockAlockedpadlock)orhttps://meansyou’vesafelyconnectedtothe.govwebsite.Sharesensitiveinformationonlyonofficial,securewebsites. CleanAirActOverview ContactUs TheCleanAirActinaNutshell:HowItWorks TheActcontainskeyprovisionstocontrolcommonpollutantswhich,atthetimeofthe1970amendments,formeddense,visiblesmoginmanyofthenation’scitiesandindustrialcenters. Toprotectpublichealthandwelfarenationwide,thelawrequiresEPAtoestablishnationalambientairqualitystandardsbasedonthelatestscience,andrequiresstatestoadoptenforceableplanstoachievethestandards.Stateplansalsomustcontrolemissionsthatdriftacrossstatelinesandharmairqualityindownwindstates.Congressdesignedthelawtominimizepollutionincreasesfromgrowingnumbersofmotorvehicles,andfromneworexpandedstationarysources(i.e.,powerplants,industrialplants,andotherfacilitiesthatarenotmobile).Thelawcallsfornewstationarysourcestobebuiltwithbesttechnology,andallowslessstringentstandardsforexistingstationarysources. TheCleanAirActinaNutshell:HowItWorks(pdf) (March22,2013) ContactUstoaskaquestion,providefeedback,orreportaproblem.