As part of a network of response organizations, our SCAA members are fully engaged in the business of responding to, cleaning up, and mitigating pollution. Many changes have taken place over the years on how the U.S. responds to spills and new information and research will continue to help this industry evolve. In this reoccurring segment, we will take a historical look at how our response capabilities have evolved from the early 1900s to the present while highlighting and summarizing some of the most influential events and regulations that have taken place!
The Clean Air Act of 1963 (CAA)
Initially enacted in 1963, the Clean Air Act (CAA) is one of the first and most influential modern environmental laws intended to reduce air pollution nationwide. Discussed in our last industry timeline piece, the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 was designed to provide funds for federal research on air pollution, however the CAA was the first federal legislation that pertained to controlling air pollution. This was accomplished by creating a program within the U.S. Public Health Service regarding authorized research into techniques for controlling air pollution.
Over the course of the Act’s existence, it has been amended several times to address modern obstacles in air pollution control. The first of which came just two years following the establishment of the CAA by the Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act which allowed for set standards to be met on controlling emissions from vehicles beginning with 1968 models. In 1967, the Air Quality Act enabled the federal government to enforce investigations of interstate transportation pollution and to inspect stationary sources (any building, structure, facility, or installation which emits or may emit an air pollutant for which a national standard is in effect) and ambient monitoring. The most recent of the amendments came in 1990 to address acid rain, ozone depletion, and toxic air pollution. This amendment also established a national permit program for stationary sources and increased enforcement authority.
Why is This Important?
The CAA acted as the first of its kind when it came to the actual control of air pollution and the inspection of sources to prevent it. Without this Act, we would not have to the monitoring capabilities and resources we have today and would understand far less about air pollution than we currently do. It requires air quality control regions, attempts to prevent significant air quality deterioration, limits noise pollution, and regulates the usage and production of stratospheric ozone layers harming chemicals. The Air Pollution Act of 1955 paved the way for the Clean Air Act by allowing for research, but we would not have the regulations and permits we have today with the CAA.
Sources:
Comments
Post a Comment