The Clean Air Act

The Clean Air Act describes the legislative history regarding the reduction of atmospheric pollution. The United States Congress first passed the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955, then the Clean Air Act in 1963, followed by amendments in 1966, the Clean Air Act Extension in 1970, and further amendments in 1977 and 1990. This course discusses the goals and importance of the Clean Air Act through its legislative history. Amendments have been implemented to these Acts, especially the 1990 Amendments which are covered in great detail in this course. This course also covers how the Clean Air Act is designed to protect people and how well that goal has been accomplished. In addition, the course describes the purpose and requirements of the New Source Review (NSR) permitting program and the Title V permit program. The course ends with the Clear Skies Legislation which was proposed to reduce power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), and mercury.