APPENDIX C: THE CLEAN AIR ACT AND MAINE 



THE CLEAN AIR ACT - BACKGROUND 



Introduction 



The Clean Air Act of 1970 was an ambitious piece of legislation which was 

 designed as a get-tough measure to solve the massive air pollution problems 

 of the United States once and for all. The Act essentially replaced all 

 Federal efforts to control the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere. 

 The Clean Air Act (CAA) authorized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

 to set standards and regulations for maintaining and improving the quality 

 of the atmosphere. The CAA mandated to EPA to promulgate the following major 

 actions: 



Establish ambient air quality standards to protect the nation's 

 health and welfare for hydrocarbons (HC), sulfur dioxide (SO2), 

 total suspended particulates (TSP), nitrous oxides (NO ) , carbon 

 monoxide (CO), and photochemical oxidants (oxone). 



Divide the country into approximately 250 Air Quality Control 

 Regions (AQCR) . 



Require each of the states to develop State Implementation Plans 

 (SIP) to maintain or improve air quality. 



Determine the compliance status for each AQCR for each of the 

 ambient air quality standards. 



Set achievable emission limitations for a number of point sources. 



Establish New Source Performance Standards (NSPS). 



Establish timetables for compliance and enforcement mechanisms. 



(Environmental Reporter, Federal Law Section 71; 110). 



Each of these seven major actions will be briefly described. 



The Clean Air Act of 1970 



The major thrust of the Clean Air Act calls for the Administrator of the 

 EPA to propose regulations defining National Primary Ambient Air Quality 

 Standards, NAAQS, (table 2-1) which would adequately protect the health of 

 the public and the environment for the six most common debilitating air 

 pollutants; hydrocarbons, sulfer dioxide, total suspended particulates, 

 nitrous oxides, carbon monoxide and photochemical oxidants. These six air 

 contaminants are the major sources of health hazards as cancer, emphysema, 

 bronchitis, heart and lung disorders and of ecosystem deterioration through 

 acid rain and heavy metal contamination, for example (see Human Health 

 Effects and Affects of Air Quality on Ecosystems). 



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