Enforcing the Clean Air Act of 1970

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1973 · Sci. Am.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0673-14· OSTI ID:6356324

de Nevers, N

The major provisions of the Clean Air Act of 1970 were summarized and their implementations discussed. It required that emissions from new automobiles be reduced by 90% during the period from 1971 to 1976. The law also had requirements for emissions by new industrial installations such as electric power plants, oil refineries, and copper smelters and with a special category of ''hazardous pollutants''. Once standards were established, the states were directed to prepare implementation plans for the Environmental Protection Agency. In order to control emissions of air pollutants from new industrial plants, Congress attempted to prevent promoters and local governments in sparsely populated areas from attracting industry with promises that no undue fuss would be made over air pollution. Only in the case of the automobile regulations did Congress itself set standards instead of delegating the responsibility to the EPA. Many problems were encountered in attempting to meet national air quality standards. Controversies involving enforcement of the Clean Air Act concerned the use of mathematical models of air pollution. A cost-benefit-method of deciding what measures to adopt for the control of air pollution was needed. A cost-benefit analysis assigns numerical values to such effects of air pollution as impairment of health, damage to buildings and crops and degradation of the quality of life. Presently the Act's doctrine of establishing air-quality standards probably is the best approach to the problem of air pollution.

• OSTI ID: 6356324
• Journal Information: Sci. Am.; (United States), Journal Name: Sci. Am.; (United States) Vol. 228:6; ISSN SCAMA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500600* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Regulations-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
AIR QUALITY
CLEAN AIR ACT
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
ENFORCEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
IMPLEMENTATION
LAWS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION LAWS
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS