Clean Air Act Compliance Training
Air Pollution Course and Air Quality
Air pollution isn’t just a threat to our health, it also damages our environment. Toxic air pollutants and the chemicals that form acid rain and ground-level ozone can damage trees, crops, wildlife, lakes and other bodies of water. Those pollutants can also harm fish and other aquatic life. It's all about air quality.
The Clean Air Act describes one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of smog and air pollution in general. The use by governments to enforce clean air standards has contributed to an improvement in human health and longer life spans. Critics argue it has also sapped corporate profits and contributed to outsourcing, while defenders counter that improved environmental air quality has generated more jobs than it has eliminated.
Additionally, air quality legislation has led to widespread use of atmospheric dispersion models, including point source models, roadway air dispersion models and aircraft air pollution models in order to analyze air quality impacts of proposed major actions.
How Smog is Formed
Many pollution sources, including cars, manufacturing and chemical plants, and products used in homes, release smog-forming pollutants. Winds blow the pollutants away from their sources and the heat of the summer sun causes chemical reactions that form ground level ozone-a principal component of smog.
Hours after the smog-forming pollutants are released from their sources, smog pollutes the air, often many miles away from where the pollutants were released. EPA's mission is to protect human health and the environment. To achieve this mission, EPA implements a variety of programs under the Clean Air Act that focus on:
- reducing outdoor, or ambient, concentrations of air pollutants that cause smog, haze, acid rain, and other problems;
- reducing emissions of toxic air pollutants that are known to, or are suspected of, causing cancer or other serious health effects; and
- phasing out production and use of chemicals that destroy stratospheric ozone.
These pollutants come from stationary sources (like chemical plants, gas stations, and powerplants) and mobile sources (like cars, trucks, and planes).
Why Should You Be Concerned About Air Pollution?
You could go days without food and hours without water, but you would last only a few minutes without air. On average, each of us breathes over 3,000 gallons of air each day. You must have air to live. However, did you know that breathing polluted air can make you sick?
Air pollution can damage trees, crops, other plants, lakes, and animals. In addition to damaging the natural environment, air pollution also damages buildings, monuments, and statues. It not only reduces how far you can see in national parks and cities, it even interferes with aviation.
In 1970, Congress created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and passed the Clean Air Act, giving the federal government authority to clean up air pollution in this country. Since then, EPA and states, tribes, local governments, industry, and environmental groups have worked to establish a variety of programs to reduce air pollution levels across America.
The Clean Air Act has helped change the way many of us work or do business. In some cases, it has even changed the way we live. This guide provides a brief introduction to the programs, philosophies, and policies in the Clean Air Act. Try our air pollution course.
The Clean Air Act Compliance Training
The Clean Air Act -Online SchoolRoom Course
This module contains information pertaining to the Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act describes one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of atmospheric pollution.
Learning Objectives
• Understand the Clean Air Acts of 1955, 1963, 1970, and 1990
• Describe the permit program
• Recognize the purposes of the CAA
• Describe how the CAA is protecting people
• Evaluate the New Source Review Program
• Explain the three types of permits
• List the changes implemented with the 1990 CAA Amendments
Our Air Pollution Course and the Environment
Air pollution isn’t just a threat to our health, it also damages our environment. Toxic air pollutants and the chemicals that form acid rain and ground-level ozone can damage trees, crops, wildlife, lakes and other bodies of water. Those pollutants can also harm fish and other aquatic life.
Air Quality and Air Pollution and the Economy
The health, environmental, and economic impacts of air pollution are significant. Each day, air pollution causes thousands of illnesses leading to lost days at work and school. Air pollution also reduces agricultural crop and commercial forest yields by billions of dollars each year.
The Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act provides a brief introduction to the 1990 Clean Air Act. The 1990 Clean Air Act is the most recent version of a law first passed in 1970 to clean up air pollution. This summary covers some of the important provisions of the 1990 Clean Air Act and may help you understand what is in the law and how it may affect you. If you would like to learn more about the 1990 Clean Air Act, visit www.epa.gov/air/caa/.
The Clean Air Act Compliance Training
Key Elements of the Clean Air Act
How Smog is Formed
Many pollution sources, including cars, manufacturing and chemical plants, and products used in homes, release smog-forming pollutants. Winds blow the pollutants away from their sources and the heat of the summer sun causes chemical reactions that form groundlevel ozone-a principal component of smog.
Hours after the smog-forming pollutants are released from their sources, smog pollutes the air, often many miles away from where the pollutants were released.
EPA's mission is to protect human health and the environment. To achieve this mission, EPA implements a variety of programs under the Clean Air Act that focus on:
- reducing outdoor, or ambient, concentrations of air pollutants that cause smog, haze, acid rain, and other problems;
- reducing emissions of toxic air pollutants that are known to, or are suspected of, causing cancer or other serious health effects; and
- phasing out production and use of chemicals that destroy stratospheric ozone.
- These pollutants come from stationary sources (like chemical plants, gas stations, and powerplants) and mobile sources (like cars, trucks, and planes).
Guidance for the Clean Air Act (CAA) from the Fed Center
Applicability Determination Index
EPA currently issues over 100 letters or memoranda per year on Clean Air Act (CAA) applicability or monitoring issues under the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS, 40 CFR 60) and the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP, 40 CFR 61 and 63) programs. These written responses are broadly termed “applicability determinations”. The ADI also contains “regulatory interpretations” which are written responses that apply to the broad range of NSPS and NESHAP regulatory requirements as they pertain to a whole source category; and applicability determinations issued pursuant to the chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) regulations, cited in 40 CFR 82. The ADI, a computerized database of such letters and memoranda, allows users to search by date, office of issuance, subpart, citation, control number, or string word searches.
CAA Risk Management Plan (RMP) Guidance
Questions and answers concern how to prepare a RMP, submit a RMP, and accessing RMP information.
Clean Air Act (CAA) Enforcement
This website, provided by the EPA Office of Enforcement, is a collection of current, active EPA policies and guidance in relation to CAA, including: stationary sources; New Source Performance Standards (NSPS); National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs); CAA Section 114 : Inspection, Entry and Monitoring; new source review (NSR); prevention of significant deterioration (PSD); mobile sources; and acid rain.
Facilities and Enforcement Activities Related to the Clean Air Act (CAA) Stationary Source Program
This page provides information about federal, state and local enforcement of CAA emissions control requirements for industrial facilities (stationary source standards).
General Conformity Under the Clean Air Act For Federal Facilities (DOC 28.16 KB)
This document seeks to clarify the impact of the Clean Air Act (CAA) Conformity Rules (Proposed) on federal facilities. It was written by Bill Frank from the U.S. EPA Federal Facilities Enforcement Office (FFEO).
Interpreting the Scope of Certain Monitoring Requirements for State and Federal Operating Permits Programs
The final interpretation is that the plain language and structure of certain sections of the operating permits regulations (40 CFR 70 and 71) do not provide an independent basis for requiring or authorizing review and enhancement of existing monitoring in title V permits. EPA believes that other rules establish a basis for such review and enhancement. The final rule interpretation is effective on 16 January 2007. POC is Peter Westlin, EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Mail code: D243-05, 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: (919) 541-1058; fax number (919) 541-1039; e-mail address: westlin.peter@epa.gov (Federal Register: December 15, 2006 [Rules and Regulations] , Page 75422-75431)
MSAT2 Questions and Answers
This document (EPA420-F-07-053, August 2007) responds to questions EPA has received concerning the manner in which the EPA intends to implement and ensure compliance with the regulations in the Control of Hazardous Air Pollutants From Mobile Sources (“MSAT2”) rulemaking published on February 26, 2007 (72 FR 8428).
Provisions of the Clean Air Act and Associated Regulations Affecting Fuels for Vehicles and Equipment at DOE Sites
Dated 6 June 2005, the brief addresses issues pertinent to all Federal entities such as: vapor recovery requirements for gasoline dispensing systems; prohibitions related to misfueling; gasoline volatility requirements; limitations on diesel fuel sulfur content; requirements relating to reformulated gasoline; requirements for detergent additives; requirements for oxygenated gasoline; whether the CAA prohibits the use of leaded gasoline in motor vehicles; and whether Federal Agencies must offer to sell clean alternative fuels to the public.
Remember - it's all about air quality!