4.9.3+Clean+Air+Act

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The main goal of the Clean Air Act is to protect the public health and public welfare of the people from the hazards of unclean air. One of the act's goals is concerned with air emissions that come from stationary and mobile sources that pollute the air. The main concern that is covered in the act is ambient air ("Environmental" 1997).=====

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Ambient air is simply the air in your surroundings. The EPA established the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) which has three main goals. The first goal is to keep the public health and the public welfare safe and to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants. The second goal targets hazardous pollutants. Some examples include suspended particulates, sulfur oxides, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, hydrocarbons, and lead. The final goal deals with state implementation plans (SIPs) which are formed for directing the states. The goals are modified to certain industries in different states. The reason for creating the final goal is to support states in reaching required NAAQS standards. Section 112 of the act targets emissions of hazardous air pollutants ("Environmental" 1997).=====

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In 1990 the Amendment was revised. Technology-based standards for major sources were needed. The major sources include stationary sources or groups of stationary sources. They are considered major sources in that they may possibly expose 10 tons per year or more of hazardous air pollutants or 25 tons per year or more of a combination of hazardous air pollutants. The term area source refers to any stationary source that is not a major source ("Environmental" 1997).===== Why this act was established: In the 1970's, there were still debates as to whether or not these acts (Clean Air act/ Clean Water act) were a good idea due to prices, profits, and plant closings. In order to understand some of the arguements opposing these acts and why economics has become a growing issue, you have to understand the Environmental policy.

Rachel Carson was one of the main establishors of the environmental movement in the 1960's to the 1970's. People began to be aware of the movement and our impact on it with her book __Slient Spring__ that dealt with the harmful affects of pesticides and herbicides on agriculture. From that book and other unfortunate events, the The Council on Environmental Quality in 1969 and The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was formed. There were three dramatic happenings that forced the public to be aware of our effect on the environmental. The first event that happened was a blowout at an oil platform in the Santa Barbara Channel. The public became outraged at this when shown in the news. The second significant occurance was a spontaneous combustion of the Cuyahogan River in Cleveland, Ohio. This incident was caused because of oil pollution in the water and combustible substances were in the water as well which caused the river to catch on fire on a hot sunny day. This opened up peoples view on water pollutioon which lead to the Clean Water Act. Finally, the last incident that occured that captured the publics attention was a temperature inversion in Pittsburg. Steel mills and other factories were causing so much air pollution that by the afternoonn, the cities lights were turned on because no one was able to see and cars had put on their headlights. This then led to the Clean Air Act which controls the air pollution at the federal level. When the environmental legislation was drafted in the 1970's congress directed the EPA not to worry about the cost of things but to establish ambient air quality standards and water quality standards. By not considering the cost of any of these regulations, court test came to the conclusion that enconomic factors were not to be used in setting the standards. So in result the US's economy was being affected as well. This law had a significantly good result on major metropolian areas. Air pollution has gone down and the Air Quality improved.
 * The Environmental Policy:**

**The Role of Economics:**
As mentioned above, debates and court sessions have been held to disscus the topic of money. The controversy is "regulatory reform". Some lawmakers want to pass a law that requires the money aspects of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act to be taken into consideration. These laws were never passed though. Smog was also an issue that the EPA had decided to control ambient air quality standards more and make new standards for tiny particles in the air.

The publics view and outlook on the environment has increased significantly. We do pay attention to the cost of regulations because of ecomonic integration today now. The international awareness of the environment has increased as well. Overall, we do take the economy into consideration for at least four reasons: 1) The cost of improvements are increasing 2) The big threats to the environment have been taken care of we just have to worry abouto the little ones. 3) Economic integration has put a strain on the industries in the US 4) Before, pollution was viewed as immoral and now peoples view has changed in that people now accept it and just think of it as a moral flaw. In the end, our environment should be respected and taken care of because we depend on it greatly.
 * What has improved today?**

4.9 Environmental Laws pd3 Home