Laws and Protocols for Air Pollution

Clean Air Act 1963

The 1963 version of the legislation established a research program to gain control over air pollution all over the U.S.

Clean Air Act 1970

The 1970 version is the comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. Among other things, this law authorizes EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and public welfare and to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants.

Clean Air 1990

The 1990 version requires EPA to develop a program to establish national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAPS) to protect the public with an ample margin of safety.

Air Pollution Control Act 1955

The Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 was the first federal air pollution law in the United States. Before its enactment, there were several state and local legislations addressing air pollution, but the U.S. government eventually concluded that air pollution should be managed on a national level. The main purpose of the Act was to provide research and technical assistance to enable the control of air pollution at its source.

Montreal Protocol 1989

bans the production of CFC's and other ozone depleting chemicals because UV radiation causes skin cancer and damage

Kyoto Protocol 1997

international treaty that sets binding obligations on industrialized countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.

National Environmental Policy Act 1989

promotes enhancement of the environment and the set up of procedural requirements regarding statements of environmental effects and proposed actions