Acid rain over the United States and Canada: The DC circuit fails to provide shelter under section 115 of the Clean Air Act while state action provides a temporary umbrella

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review; (USA)

OSTI ID:5966235

Garland, C

Acid rain as a transboundary pollution problem affecting Canada and the United States is addressed. International agreements have, so far, been unsuccessful. This article probes why there is a wait for controls and solutions for acid rain. The formation of acid rain form the oxidation of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere is explained, as is the finger-printing method of tracing deposition chemicals to their sources. Effects of acid rain on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, humans and building materials are also covered. The majority of the article is devoted to proving the ineffectiveness of the Clean Air Act. Events leading to the case between New York state and EPA Administrator Lee Thomas are presented. The EPA lost the court decision to New York, and their appeal in the DC Circuit Court is analyzed according to various sections of the Clean Air Act. The rules proposed by Minnesota and several other states to protect the environment from acid deposition emphasize the need for more cooperation between the US and Canada and use of already written laws.

• OSTI ID: 5966235
• Journal Information: Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review; (USA), Vol. 16:1; ISSN 0190-7034
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
ACID RAIN
DEPOSITION
AIR POLLUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
CANADA
TRANSFRONTIER POLLUTION
USA
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CLEAN AIR ACT
LEGAL ASPECTS
NITROGEN OXIDES
SULFATES
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
US EPA
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
CONTROL
ECOSYSTEMS
LAWS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION LAWS
RAIN
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
US ORGANIZATIONS
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540220 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540320 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
010900 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety