History of Clean Air Act

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History of Clean Air Act
"Regular" is no longer a choice at the gas pumps
because adding lead to gasoline is now against
the law.
Cars burning leaded gasoline crowd a Los Angeles
freeway in the 1972

• Environmental Policy in Congress

Presented by Vamsi K Kothapalli
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This 1963 photo shows a massive smog episode in
New York City. (Photo AP/Wide World Photo, EPA
Journal Jan/Feb 1990.)
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Background on the Clean Air Act
 Did you know ?

• Air pollution was a problem as far back as the
  Middle Ages?
• In 1306, Edward I of England banned the use of
  sea coal in London because of the foul odors
  produced when it was burned.
• The Industrial Revolution belched tons of black
  smoke into the air and created smog problems for
  Chicago and Cincinnati in the late 1880s.
• Smog in southern California has been around for
  decades. In 1943, car exhaust trapped in the San
  Fernando Valley limited visibility to three
  blocks and caused respiratory ailments, nausea
  and vomiting.
• In the late 1940s, smog killed 20 people and sent
  7,000 more to local hospitals in the small town
  of Donora, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh.

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Background on the Clean Air Act

• Southern California and Donora proved to be the
  seminal incidents that changed the federal
  governments thinking about air pollution.
• Pollution controls, which had been the
  responsibility of state and local governments,
  were now superseded by federal regulations.
• The first national air pollution law was passed a
  few years after the Donora incident. It was
  called the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955.

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HOUSE
How a Bill becomes Law Dynamic Legislative
Process -Video
SENATE
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Air Pollution Control Act of 1955
public law 84-159
"An Act to provide research and technical
assistance relating to air pollution control"
Key Features

• First federal legislative attempt to control air
  pollution at its source
• Granted 5 million annually for five years for
  research by the Public Health Service

Outcome

• Did little to prevent Air Pollution, but it made
  the government aware that this problem existed on
  the national level.
• It recognized the dangers facing public health
  and welfare, agriculture, livestock, and
  deterioration of property, and reserved for
  Congress the right to control this growing problem

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Amendments to Air Pollution Control Act of 1955
Amendments of 1960

• Extended research funding for four more years

Amendments of 1962

• Called for research to be done by the U.S.
  Surgeon General to determine the health effects
  of various motor vehicle exhaust substances

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Clean Air Act of 1963
public law 88-206
"An Act to improve, strengthen, and accelerate
programs for the prevention and abatement of air
pollution"
Key Features

• Granted 95 million over a three year period to
  state and local governments and air pollution
  control agencies in order to conduct research and
  create control programs

Outcome

• Recognized the dangers of motor vehicle exhaust,
  and it encouraged the development of emissions
  standards from these sources as well as from
  stationary sources
• Encouraged the use of technology which removed
  sulfur from these fuels
• Promoted ongoing research, investigations,
  surveys, and experiments

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Amendments to Clean Air Act of 1963
Amendments of 1965 Motor Vehicle Air Pollution
Control Act

• Focused on establishing standards for automobile
  emissions
• Recognized the serious problem of transboundary
  air pollution and promoted research on its
  damaging effects on the health and welfare of
  Canada and Mexico

Amendments of 1966

• Expanded local air pollution control programs

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Amendments to Clean Air Act of 1963
Amendments of 1967 Air Quality Act

• Divided parts of the nation into Air Quality
  Control Regions (AQCRs) as a means of monitoring
  ambient air
• Established national emissions standards for
  stationary sources, which brought about debate
  because many officials thought it should be dealt
  with industry by industry, but one national
  standard was set
• Established a fixed timetable for state
  implementation plans (SIPs)
• granted funds to continue research in the area of
  air pollution control

Amendments of 1969

• Extended authorization for research on low
  emissions fuels and automobiles

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People involved in passing Clean Air Legislation
SUPPORTERS
Air Pollution Control Act of 1955

• OVETA CULP HOBBY (1905-1995)
• THOMAS HENRY KUCHEL (1910-1994)
• JOHN HENRY RAY (1886-1975)
• HOMER EARL CAPEHART (1897-1979)

Clean Air Act of 1963

• ABRAHAM ALEXANDER RIBICOFF (1910-1998)
• RALPH NADER (1934- )

Click on the names for biographical sketch
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Clean Air Act of 1970
public law 91-604
"An Act to amend the Clean Air Act to provide for
a more effective program to improve the quality
of the Nation's air."
Key Features

• highly ambitious piece of air pollution abatement
  legislation
• set National Ambient Air Quality Standards
  (NAAQS), to protect public health and welfare
• Standards were also set for hazardous emissions
  and emissions from motor vehicles
• Funds of 30 million went toward research on the
  growing problem of noise pollution in larger
  cities.
• this Clean Air Act allowed citizens the right to
  take legal action against anyone or any
  organization, including the government, who is in
  violation of the emissions standards.

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Amendments to Clean Air Act of 1970
Amendments of 1977

• Deadline to meet motor vehicle emissions
  standards, as well as the deadline to meet the
  ambient air standards, were extended
• government made its first attempt to prevent the
  destruction of stratospheric ozone.
• modified the Prevention of Significant
  Deterioration (PSD) policy designating regions as
  one of three different classes
• class I very little additional pollution is
  allowed
• class II moderate pollution is allowed
• Class III pollution approaching but not
  bypassing NAAQS is allowed

Federal lands and parks were designated class I
regions, and the states were to designate the
remaining areas
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People involved in passing Clean Air Legislation
Clean Air Act of 1970
SUPPORTERS

• EDMUND SIXTUS MUSKIE (1914-1996)
• WILLIAM DOYLE RUCKLESHAUS (1932- )
• RUSSELL ERROL TRAIN (1920- )
• PAUL GRANT ROGERS (1912- )
• ALAN KOOI SIMPSON (1931- )

OPPOSITION

• ROBERT BYRD (1917- )

Click on the names for biographical sketch
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Clean Air Act of 1990
public law 101-549
"An Act to amend the Clean Air Act to provide for
attainment and maintenance of health protective
national ambient air quality standards, and for
other purposes."
Key Features

• raised automobile emissions standards and set a
  definite timetable for reductions in order to
  tighten control in non-attainment areas
• encouraged the use of low-sulfur fuels as well as
  alternative fuels as a means of reducing sulfur
  dioxide in the atmosphere
• mandated the installment of the Best Available
  Control Technology (BACT) to reduce the amount of
  air toxics
• called for a reduction in the amount of
  chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) being used as a way of
  preventing ozone depletion

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Late 1990s - Progress of Clean Air Act (CAA)

• Two EPA studies (1997 1999) analyzed how the
  overall health, welfare, ecological and economic
  benefits of the Clean Air Act programs compare to
  the costs of these programs.
• Both studies conducted over 6 years.
• Both studies yielded the same results
  The overall benefits of the CAA legislation
  exceed the costs of its programs

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People involved in passing Clean Air Legislation
Clean Air Act of 1990
SUPPORTERS

• GEORGE JOHN MITCHELL (1933- )
• HENRY ARNOLD WAXMAN (1939- )

OPPOSITION

• JOHN DAVID DINGELL, JR. (1926- )

Click on the names for biographical sketch
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Recent Progress

• An independent study commissioned by the
  Foundation for Clean Air Progress found that
  Americas air is dramatically cleaner and
  healthier today than it was 30 years ago.
• Using the most recent EPA data available, experts
  have determined that four of the six most serious
  pollutants identified by the Clean Air Act of
  1970 are no longer being released into the air at
  unhealthy levels
• The other two pollutants, ozone and particulates,
  have new, tougher standards, but reduction
  results are harder to measure. However, monitored
  data does reveal fewer Americans are exposed to
  unhealthy levels of these pollutants today than
  back in 1990.

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Clear Skies Act of 2003

• The Bush administration's air pollution plan,
  dishonestly named " The Clear Skies Initiative",
  seeks to replace proven Clean Air Act protections
  with a market-driven "cap-and-trade" program for
  sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury
  emissions
• The plan purports to reduce emissions of these
  pollutants by approximately 70 percent each by
  2018
• However the plan proposes no steps to address
  emissions of pollutants that cause global
  warming, most notably carbon dioxide.

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Clean Air Act Vs Clear Skies Act

• Clean Air Act
• Reduce sulfur dioxide emissions to 2 million tons
  per year by 2012
• 90 percent reduction in mercury emissions by 2008
  
• Dose not allow cap-and-trade philosophy

• Clear Skies Act
• Reduce sulfur dioxide emissions to 3 million tons
  by 2018.
• 50 percent reduction in mercury emissions by 2010
• "cap-and-trade" philosophy that will allow "hot
  spots" to develop

Hearings on Clear Skies Act were held in January
and February 2005, and on March 9, 2005 the
committee debated and ultimately voted to reject
S. 131 on a bipartisan vote of 9 to 9
EPA re-analysis on October 27, 2005 demonstrated
that existing laws achieve the same pollution
reductions as Clear Skies, and do so at a lower
cost.
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The faulty EPA report

• The Congressional Research Service issued a
  report on November 23, 2005 charging that the EPA
  analysis favored the Clear Skies Initiative by
  overvaluing the benefits of the Bush
  Administration's proposal and overstating the
  costs of the alternative bills
• disgraceful example of misinformation being used
  to advance a political agenda at the expense of
  public health and an uncontaminated environment

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Conclusion

• Here is the most interesting finding of the
  independent study Americans are breathing
  healthier air despite a growing economy and
  increased population
• Americans are making historic strides in
  improving nations air quality -- and are doing it
  without sacrificing jobs, productivity and
  economic development

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References-

• http//www.ametsoc.org/sloan/cleanair/index.html
• http//congress.indiana.edu/learn_about/launcher.h
  tmleg_proc
• http//www.lcv.org/president-and-congress/issues/p
  age.jsp?itemID28175859
• http//thomas.loc.gov
• www.sierraclub.org
• www.lcv.org
• www.nam.org
• www.heritage.org
• http//www.cleanairprogress.org/classroom/cleanair
  act_text.asp
• www.epa.gov
• www.knovel.com
• http//www.environmentaldefense.org/documents/2695
  _cleanairact.htmlead

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Questions