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The Clean Air Act (CAA) (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) is a comprehensive Federal law that regulates all sources of air emissions. The 1970 CAA authorized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and the environment. The states were directed to develop state implementation plans (SIP's), which consist of emission reduction strategies with the goal of achieving the NAAQS by the legislated date. The Act was amended in 1977 primarily to set new goals (dates) for achieving attainment of NAAQS since many areas of the country had failed to meet them by the required deadline. The 1977 amendments also established the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) regulations for areas that already meet the NAAQS. The PSD regulations are designed to prevent any significant deterioration in air quality above an established baseline level. That way pollutant concentrations may remain well within the ambient standards. The 1990 amendments to the CAA in large part were intended to meet unaddressed or insufficiently addressed problems such as acid rain, ground-level ozone, stratospheric ozone depletion, and air toxics. COEMMon air pollutants regulated by the EPA include nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter, carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOC), ozone (O3), and lead. The following links provide more information on the Clean Air Act and the various parts of the EPA regulatory program.
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