ABSTRACT
The Clean Air Act was first enacted as Public Law 159 in 1955. It has been amended and strengthened several times since then, with the most recent amendments signed into law in 1990 and 1996.
The purpose of the Clean Air Act is to protect and enhance the nation’s air quality as well as to safeguard public health and welfare and the productive capacity of its people. The Act is divided into two basic groupings:
Standards
The Clean Air Act requires the promulgation of certain standards by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA, 1990). Each state then is required to develop a state implementation plan (SIP) and related regulations. A discussion of the key regulations and standards follows.
