The Clean Air Act abbreviated as CAA and coded as 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq., is a federal law of the United States that seeks to protect the environment and human health against emissions that make outdoor or ambient air unsafe. By regulating emissions from mobile sources and stationeries, the act is designed to ensure that the air we breathe is free from harm. Hence the major goal of the law’s aim is to protect both the environment and human health from possible effects that may arise due to air pollution. Despite its initial drafting in 1973, the act’s major amendments were made in 1990 where significant changes were made however the bill’s original aim of its existence remained (Davidson and Norbeck, 3).
The act launched a series of federal programs that aimed at imposing technologies that controlled pollution on existing and new motor vehicles as well as stationary sources. The act also formulates air quality objectives to set acceptable standards. The primary objective of the Clean Air Act is to attain ambient air quality across the entire nation with the aim of protecting public health and public welfare through controlling emissions from both mobile and stationary sources to the air and creating quality standards, hence limiting air pollution. To carry out its mandate, the Clean Air Act established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Through the Clean Air Act law, the Environmental Protection Agency was allowed to create National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The NAAQS objective is to protect health and welfare of the public as well as control emission of hazardous pollutants into the air. Hence, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Clean Air Act is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that all possible endangering emissions into the atmosphere are regulated. Local as well as state governments are also required to enforce and monitor the Act’s regulations, with the Environmental Protection Agency oversight (Davidson and Norbeck, 19).
On one hand, by implementing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to monitor majorly six certain air pollutants, emission of dangerous pollutants has been minimized. Some of these dangerous pollutants include sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, lead, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide. On the other hand, the clean air act through the Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) sets standards for permissible exposure limits (PELs) which are meant to regulate the concentration or amount of substance in the place of work hence protecting public health.
Lastly, the Act directs EPA to formulate primary as well as secondary national ambient air quality standards for certain pollutants. The primary standards what is regarded as "an ample margin of safety” by the EPA ensures the protection of public health whereas the secondary standards are meant to protect property and environment against damage. Moreover, in the primary standards settings, costs are not a matter of concern as public health is of the utmost concern no matter what; even subpopulations that may be susceptible have to be protected. A Geographical area that might be considered to be under threat of air pollution by the EPA is known as attainment areas while the areas surrounding it as non-attainment areas.
In conclusion, the Clean Air Act has been of significant help. The act has not only kept dangerous pollutants from causing serious damages to people but has also inspired innovations. Dangerous pollutants such as mercury cause cardiovascular diseases, respiratory complications even premature deaths if left unregulated. In inspiring innovations, the Clean Air Act encourages industries to adopt and develop solutions that minimize pollution and in the process, new technologies arise that create not only new employment opportunities but also protect our environment.
Works cited
Davidson, Jonathan, and Joseph M. Norbeck. An Interactive History of the Clean Air Act: Scientific and Policy Perspectives. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2012. Print.
