1. The Clean Air Act
A national response to air pollution

2. Clean Air Act (CAA)
1963 – CAA established to fund for the study & cleanup of air pollution
1965 – amendment added requiring U.S. Department of Health, Education & Services to create and regulate auto emission standards
1970 – CCA of 1970 began an age of federal rather than state regulation of air pollution
1970 – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created and was given the primary role to carry out the CAA. The CAA targeted major polluting chemicals that threatened human & environmental health. Established specified standards for auto emissions with an aim of reducing various gases by ~90%.
1977 – amendments added to deal with states not achieving national objectives. This was a response to states not meeting vehicle emission standards, and also preventing air quality deterioration in areas that had previously been clean.

3. Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1990 The CAA was last amended in 1990
Issues that were addressed:
acid rain
toxic pollutants
areas still not meeting regulation standards
Ozone layer depletion
Massive decreases in certain gas emissions were mandated in addition to removal of chemical contributors to ozone depletion