Making ready for the Clean Air Act

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Regulation; (United States)

OSTI ID:6438205

Harrison, D Jr ^[1]; Portney, P R

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1. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA

Five areas of the Clean Air Act have become particularly controversial. The first four date from the 1970 amendments: EPA's national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), its emissions standards for new or substantially modified sources, the system of local control of air polluters under state plans filed with EPA, and the automobile emissions standards. The fifth area, introduced in the 1977 amendments, is that of prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) in parts of the country where air quality exceeds the national standards. In considering them here, we briefly review the history of each provision, discuss the logic behind the approach that Congress or EPA took, identify the problems that have resulted, and suggest some ways of dealing with those problems. We then take up the larger issue of how economic balance and incentives can best be brought into air quality regulation.

• OSTI ID: 6438205
• Journal Information: Regulation; (United States), Journal Name: Regulation; (United States) Vol. 5:2; ISSN REGUD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
500600 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Regulations-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR QUALITY
CLEAN AIR ACT
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
LAWS
LEGISLATION
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
POLLUTION LAWS
PREVENTION OF SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS