This page provides an overview of the 1990 amendments to title vi of the clean air act, which were enacted to curb acid rain, urban air pollution and toxic air emissions. Sep 20, 2012 the 1990 clean air act amendments revised section 112 to require issuance of technologybased standards for major sources and certain area sources. Reflections on twenty years of policy innovation gabriel chan, robert stavins, robert stowe, and richard sweeney nber working paper no. Regulation and progress under the 1990 clean air act amendments 5 1. The clean air act highlights of the 1990 amendments. Since this study, passage of the clean air act amendments of 1990 has resulted in declines of sulfur dioxide emissions and improving water quality in the northeast ern us stoddard et al. Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, or visit the webmasters page for free fun content. Legislative history of the clean air act amendments of. The principal statute addressing air quality concerns, the clean air act was first enacted in 1955, with major revisions in 1970, 1977, and 1990. The acid rain program employs a capandtrade program.
The clean air act amendments of 1990 established new programs and made major changes in the ways that air pollution is controlled. The clean air act gives epa authority to set national ambient air quality standards for protecting public health and the environment from pollutants in the outside air. Epa operates a stratospheric ozone information hotline that provides information about ozone protection regulations and requirements under title vi of the clean air act amendments of 1990. In general amends the clean air act to require state governors to designate areas within a state as nonattainment, attainment, or unclassifiable, with regard to air quality standards, and to submit such. Under the clean air act of 1970 and 1977, the epa set emissions limits for seven hazardous pollutantsberyllium, mercury, vinyl chloride, asbestos, benzene, radionuclides, and arsenic. The new law builds on the strengths of the clean air act of 1970 and. In re sponding to this challenge, state regu lators throughout the nation and. Such study shall be completed within 12 months of the date of the enactment of the clean air act amendments of 1990. The clean air act amendments of 1990 list of hazardous air. Skalyo more than two years ago, ten years of legislative gridlock ended with passage of the most sweeping environmental law ever. Significant changes to the clean air act were enacted in the clean air act amendments of 1990, specifically targeting four areas. Passed house amended 0523 1990 clean air act amendments of 1990 title i. Clean air act amendments legislative history senate report no. The overall goal of the 1990 amendments is to reduce pollutants in our air by 56 billion pounds a year 224 pounds for every person in the u.
On november 15, 1990 the clean air act was revised with overwhelming bipartisan support and signed into law by president george h. The clean air act identifies two types of national ambient air quality standards. Appendix c the clean air act amendments of 1990 list of hazardous air pollutants. The 1990 caaa substantially increased the authority and responsibility of the federal government. Clean air act house office of the legislative counsel. The 1970 act required states to enforce the clean air act. This was the most recent of three significant development in environmental legislation in years, along with the clean air act of 1970 and the 1977 clean air act amendments. Another set of major amendments to the clean air act occurred in 1990 1990 caaa. Specifically the amendments were designed to curb four major.
Clean air act 101 module 5 title v operating permits marcia l. Provisions for attainment and maintenance of national ambient air quality standards subtitle a. The 1990 clean air act amendments revised the 1970 law. The 1990 amendments to the clean air act were signed into law by president bush on november 15, 1990. Air pollution implementation of the clean air act amendments. Effects of the shift in federal funding priorities are discussed, and catalysts for intermodalism in the public and private sector are identified. The impact of the clean air act amendments of 1990 on electric utilities and coal mines. The 1990 amendments contain 7 separate titles covering different regulatory.
California californias clean air project designed to create a smokefree. The impacts of the clean air act amendments of 1990 and. Chemical accident prevention and the clean air act amendments of 1990 may 1996 the caa, under s. Allowancetrading system and the clean air act amendments 421 capandtrade program, established under title iv of the clean air act amendments caaa of 1990. By 2015, this represents a reduction in egu so 2 of over 43 percent. Implementation guidance for section 112g of the 1990. According to epa, by many measures, the quality of the nations air has improved in recent years. Major amendments to strengthen the act were added in 1977, and again in 1990. Legislative history of the clean air act amendments of 1990 theodore l. Status of implementation and issues of the clean air act. It set goals for the year 2000 of reducing annual so 2 emissions by 10 million tons from 1980 levels and reducing annual no x emissions by 2.
Sustainability trends reducing emissions at airports pdf. This article is the third in a threepart series on the clean air act and the 1990 amendments. Jan 04, 2017 this page provides an overview of the 1990 amendments to title vii of the clean air act, which were enacted to curb acid rain, urban air pollution and toxic air emissions. Publication date 1990 series report 101st congress, 2d session, house. The clean air act amendments of 1990 added an acid deposition control program title iv to the act. A summary of the act and its major requirements congressional research service summary this report summarizes the clean air act and its major regulatory requirements. For all listings above which contain the word compounds and for glycol ethers, the following applies. The act was last reauthorized and amended by the congress in 1990. A bill to amend the clean air act to provide for attainment and maintenance of health protective national ambient air quality standards, and for other purposes. United states office of air 450k92001 environmental.
They also contain provisions to provide additional unemployment benefits through the job training partnership act to workers laid off as a consequence of compliance with. Animation explaining how the clean air act amendments of 1990 nearly eliminated the production of acid rain. Unless otherwise specified, these listings are defined as including any unique chemical substance that contains the named chemical i. Great strides have been made in combating urban air pollution, toxic air pollution, depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, and acid rain. National ambient air quality standards naaqs the clean air act, which was last amended in 1990, requires epa to set national ambient air quality standards 40 cfr part 50 for pollutants considered harmful to public health and the environment. Response of surface waters to the clean air act amendments of. The so2 allowance trading system and the clean air act amendments of 1990.
Clean air act amendments of 1990 in which to contribute such amount. Until the 1990 amendments, states were required to demonstrate that their plans would lead to attainment of the standards by. National academies of sciences, engineering, and medicine. Highlights of the clean air act amendments off 1990 bryan lee editor, air water pollution report silver spring, maryland when president bush put his pen to the clean air act amendments of 1990 last november, it marked the end of a decadelong battle in congress over air pollution and acid rain. Pdf the impact of the clean air act amendments of 1990. Compliance guidance for industrial process refrigeration. This paper examines whether the 1990 clean air act amendments caused the decline in ambient concentrations of particulate matter pm10 in california over the 1990 2000 period. The edits to this title deal with stratospheric ozone and global climate protection. The clean air act amendments of 1990 address numerous air quality problems in the united states were not entirely covered in earlier legislation. The last major change in the law, the clean air act amendments of 1990, was enacted by congress in 1990. Clean air act united states house of representatives. Jan 04, 2017 the clean air act amendments of 1990 continue the federal acid rain research program and contain several new provisions relating to research, development and air monitoring.
The so2 allowance trading system and the clean air act. In a 2005 rulemaking, after conducting a thorough analysis of the language and legislative history of the two versions, epa described one way to reconcile them in a manner that comported with the overall thrust of the clean air act amendments of 1990. The plain english guide to the clean air act pdf epa. Clean air act amendments of 1990 or the program already. These programs are often known as the small business environmental assistance programs or sbeap. Established by the clean air act amendments established by the of 1990. The 1990 amendments to the clean air act were designed to curb four major threats to both the environment and the health of millions of americans.
The clean air act has helped change the way many of us work or do. Clean air act full text of the regulations and amendments. The clean air act highlights of the 1990 amendments on november 15, 1990 the clean air act was revised with overwhelming bipartisan support and signed into law by president george h. The clean air act amendments of 1990 were signed into law as p. The impact of the clean air act pubmed central pmc. B284843 page 7 gaorced0072 clean air act amendments of 1990. The clean air act,1 last reauthorized and amended by the congress in 1990, provides for a number of related programs designed to protect health and control air pollution. With the 1990 clean air act amendments, congress revised the epas hazardous air pollutant program to a technologybased regulatory system.
This study examines the impacts of the clean air act amendments of 1990 caaa90 on coal production and coal flows. Enforcement of the clean air act amendments of 1990. Research needs associated with particulate emissions at airports. According to the epa, the 1990 clean air act amendments has prevented or will. The effects of title iv of the clean air act amendments of 1990 on electric utilities. Implementation guidance for section 112g of the 1990 clean air act amendments casebycase mact for new hap sources september 2000 amended january 2010 2 disclaimer this document is to be used as guidance only. Hem buffalo, ny has published legislative history of the clean air act amendments of 1990, an 11 volume set that includes a compilation of the documents and debates leading to passage of the clean air act amendments of 1990. In june 1989 president bush proposed sweeping revisions to the clean air act. They were concerned with states that were not achieving national objectives as to auto emissions and measures to prevent air quality deterioration in areas where the air had previously been clean.
The amendments hold out the promise of achieving a great deal healthful air by certain times, local environments free from the threat of toxic compounds. Reflecting the clean air act amendments of 1990 signed by the president as p. The edits to this title deal with enforcement provisions. The effects of title iv of the clean air act amendments of. This page provides an overview of the 1990 amendments to title vii of the clean air act, which were enacted to curb acid rain, urban air pollution and toxic air emissions.
Major sources are defined as a stationary source or group of stationary sources that emit or have the potential to emit 10 tons per year or more of a hazardous air. The clean air act amendments of 19901 amendments transform the federal statute which regulates air pollution into a behemoth of over 700 pages in length. Section ii introduction to the federal clean air act and related programs. The law is designed to reduce acid rain and improve public health by dramatically reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide so2 and oxides of nitrogen nox. Appendix c the clean air act amendments of 1990 list of. Bush signed into law the clean air act amendments of 1990, a law setting forth a multitude of new controls and considerations that needed to be made in order to gain or remain compliant with the clean air act. Highlights of the clean air act amendments off 1990.
Module k is a list of references containing more information about the amendments and the refrigerant recycling regulations generally. The amendments add substantial new requirements to the clean air act of 1970,2 as previously amended in 1977. The proposal also called for establishing a national permits program. Specifically the amendments were designed to curb four major threats to the environment and to the health of millions of americans. Complying with the clean air act amendments of 1990. Nov, 2019 in the united states, the clean air acts include the air pollution control act of 1955, clean air act of 1963, air quality act of 1967, the clean air act extension of 1970, and clean air act amendments in 1977 and 1990. State and local governments have passed supplemental legislation to fill in gaps left by the federal mandates. A progress report the passage of the clean air act amendments of 1990 caaa has encouraoecl states to develop creative implementation plans in order to meet the ambient air quality stan clards that the act requires. The 1990 clean air act amendments established section 507 that requires each state establish a small business stationary source technical and environmental compliance assistance program.
The 1990 amendment of the clean air act introduced a nationwide approach to reduce acid pollution. Cleaner, lesspolluting buses resulted from the 1990 clean air act amendments. Clean air act amendments of 1990 how is clean air act. It is one of the united states first and most influential modern environmental laws, and one of the most comprehensive air quality laws in the world. Bush proposed revisions to the clean air act designed to curb acid rain, urban air pollution, and toxic air emissions. Clean air act, a comprehensive federal law that regulates air. Pdf the city level effects of the 1990 clean air act. Nov 19, 2017 animation explaining how the clean air act amendments of 1990 nearly eliminated the production of acid rain. D if, after the date of the enactment of the clean air act amendments of 1990, the administrator modifies the method of determining compliance with the national primary ambient air quality standard, a design value or other indicator comparable to 0. As amended in 1977 and 1990, the clean air act of 1970 requires epa to set national ambient air quality standards and sets up a state planning process called a state implementation plan, or sip to ensure attainment.
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