Clean Air Act of 1970 (2018 Course Update)

In Clean Air Act of 1970 (2018 Course Update), you'll learn ...

• Key Topics and programs of the Clean Air Act for stationary sources of air pollution
• Summary of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS
• Cross-references between the CFR and USC for various topics and programs under the Clean Air Act
• National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), current as of 2018

Overview

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Credit: 2 PDH

Length: 25 pages

December 1970 marks two important events regarding air pollution law in the United States: [1] creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency and [2] enactment of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The CAA was a major shift in the federal government's role in air pollution control. The Act authorized the development of comprehensive federal & state regulations to limit emissions from both mobile and stationary (i.e. industrial) sources. Four major regulatory programs affecting stationary sources were initiated: National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), State Implementation Plans (SIPs), New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs).

Major amendments were added to the CAA in 1977. These Amendments provided for Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) of air quality in areas attaining the NAAQS. The 1977 Amendments also contained requirements pertaining to sources in in geographic areas that fail to meet NAAQS – areas called non-attainment areas.

Amendments were again passed in 1990 that substantially increased the authority and responsibility of the federal government. New regulatory programs were authorized for control of acid deposition (acid rain) and for the issuance of stationary source operating permits. NESHAPs were incorporated into a greatly expanded program for controlling toxic air pollutants. The provisions for attainment and maintenance of NAAQS were substantially modified and expanded. Other revisions included provisions regarding stratospheric ozone protection, increased enforcement authority, and expanded research programs.

This course is intended for environmental engineers who are responsible for compliance with air pollution laws in either the private or public sector, with particular focus on stationary (i.e. industrial) sources.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

• History of the CAA and its Amendments
• Legal distinctions: the Act itself, the US Code, and the Code of Federal Regulations
• National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), current as of 2018
• Air quality control regions: attainment, non-attainment, and maintenance
• State Implementation Plans (SIPs)
• New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)
• Construction permits
• National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS)
• Acid Rain Program: reducing SO2 and NOx emissions
• Operating (a.k.a. Title V) permits
• Regulation of Class I and Class II ozone-depleting substances

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 25 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.