Air pollution poses a serious threat to both the environment and to human health. Depending on the pollutants in question, the hazards created by air pollution can range from the relatively benign. such as diminished visibility, to the serious, like destruction of the ozone layer. Air pollution has been linked to numerous human health problems, including respiratory ailments, birth defects, and numerous types of cancers.

Air pollution is generated by a wide variety of sources. We tend to associate air pollution primarily with such obvious sources as industrial smoke stacks, chemical plants, automobiles, and trucks. However, other less obvious sources also contribute large quantities of pollution. Such sources include gasoline stations, dry cleaners, outboard motors, construction equipment, lawn mowers, and household paints and other products.

Congress responded to growing concerns about the quality of our nation's air by amending the Clean Air Act (CAA) in 1990. The overriding goal of the amended CAA is to reduce the pollutants in our air by 56 billion pounds a year -224 pounds for every man, woman and child - by the time the amendments are fully phased in by the year 2005. To achieve this goal, the CAA has four primary focuses:

• Reducing Smog and other Pollutants. Urban smog, or ground level ozone pollution, produced by motor vehicles and other industrial sources is a serious health problem facing many communities. The CAA seeks to reduce or eliminate this problem by reducing the quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide released into the atmosphere. EPA has established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to regulate emissions of these "criteria" pollutants.
• Reducing Air Toxics. Congress has identified 189 chemica1s as air toxics, or hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), because they have been associated with cancers, birth defects and other health risks. The CAA requires EPA to establish regulations to control emissions from chemical plants, steel mills and other sources of these air toxics to reduce the emissions of air toxics.
• Protecting the Ozone Layer. In response to the growing concern over the depletion of the ozone layer, congress mandated that the production of certain compounds, identified as Class 1 Ozone Depleting Compounds (e.g. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)), chemicals which are believed to deplete the ozone layer, have already been phased out of production. In addition, compounds identified as Class II Ozone Depleting Compounds, such as Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), are in the process of being phased out as well. Acceptable alternatives to these substances have been approved for use by EPA, and are listed under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program.
• Controlling Acid Rain. Acid rain is caused in large part by power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Cutting sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants by half and dramatically reducing nitrogen oxides from industrial sources and power plants, as well as motor vehicles, will help to restore hundreds of lakes and streams and thousands of acres of damaged forests, slow down aging of historic buildings and monuments, improve visibility, and reduce acidic particles that may threaten public health.

By addressing these types of pollutants, the CAA strives to restore and maintain clean, healthy air nationwide.

Does the CAA Apply to Your Community?

Many different CAA provisions can affect small governments. Work closely with your state air program office to ensure that your community remains in compliance (or to bring your community into compliance, if it currently is not).

Actions Your Community Should Be Taking

There are many steps you can take to help improve your community' s air quality and to comply with the requirements of the CAA. For example, you can talk to your local air authority and your state air program office to learn about the air quality in your area. Then, work with these individuals, along with local industry representatives, environmental groups, health associations, and citizens to identify sources of air quality problems and to arrive at potential solutions. Finally, be sure that you are aware of, and in compliance with, all of the CAA requirements that specifically apply to your community.

Applicable CAA requirements regulate both stationary sources and mobile sources of air pollution. Stationary source regulations you should be particularly aware of include those applicable to:

• municipal power plants;
• publicly owned treatment works (POTWs);
• municipal waste combustors; and
• municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLFs).

The CAA mobile source program regulates emissions from all types of motor vehicles, including cars, trucks, and buses. If your local government owns any municipal vehicles, such as police cars, fire engines, or buses, you must be sure to comply with all requirements applicable to these mobile sources. These requirements range from standards for cleaner fuels, to better inspection and maintenance programs, and more effective public transportation systems.

In some cases, local governments have adopted economic incentive programs to help their communities lower the costs associated with attaining and maintaining air quality standards. These programs are intended to stimulate the use of nontraditional strategies to meet air quality goals, including the use of pollution prevention measures and innovative technologies that reduce harmful emissions. To get more information on how you can initiate an incentive program in your community, or to get more general information about the CAA, contact your local air authority or your state air program office.

Additional Information

The CAA regulations are published in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 1 to 99.

EPA has published several guidance documents that are available to help you comply with the federal CAA regulations, including "The Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act," "The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990: An Introductory Guide To Smart Implementation," and "The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990: A Guide to Public Financing Options." Call EPA, at 202/260-7400 for information on titles available and how you can order them.

(See Resource Section for air contacts.)