The Clean Air Act Turns 30

Download the full report (959k PDF file)
About Adobe Acrobat Reader

Environmental Defense released a report today marking the 30th anniversary of the Clean Air Act. In December 1970, this historic legislation was enacted to protect public health by cleaning the nation’s air. The report examines some of the Act’s ground-breaking successes and also focuses on the particular problem of nitrogen oxides (NOX) air pollution, which has increased by 3.5 million tons between 1970-98, a rise of 17% since the Act was adopted. The report, Building on 30 Years of Clean Air Act Success: The Case for Reducing NOX Air Pollution, is available for download.

The Clean Air Act has reduced several major air pollutants while the nation’s economy has grown briskly, and gross domestic product has risen by more than 114%. For example, since 1970 emissions of lead (a neurotoxin that is particularly harmful to children) have been cut by 98%, due to the national unleaded gasoline program. At the same time, serious air pollution challenges remain.

“The Clean Air Act has been very effective in producing a healthier environment for millions of Americans, and we need to build from these successes in addressing the serious air pollution challenges we face today,” said Environmental Defense senior attorney Vickie Patton. “It is critical that the Environmental Protection Agency be allowed to finalize protective emission standards to clean up the carcinogenic exhaust and NOX pollution from large diesel trucks and buses, and deliver healthier air to communities across the country. The Act’s 30 year history has repeatedly shown that important steps can be taken to protect our citizens’ lungs without harming our nation’s economy.”

The report documents the contribution of NOX emissions to a suite of public health and environmental impacts including:

• unhealthy smog levels from coast-to-coast
  
• millions of dollars in damage to agricultural production
  
• fine particles that cause premature death and hospitalization
  
• acid rain in our forests, lakes and streams
  
• pollution of important coastal fishing waters like the Chesapeake Bay
  
• haze air pollution in national parks, and “brown clouds” in western cities

The report demonstrates that investments in reducing NOX air pollution will produce numerous societal benefits. It recommends comprehensive, cost-effective measures to curtail NOX emissions from pollution sources including large diesel trucks and buses, power plants, and nonroad vehicles such as construction equipment, agricultural equipment, and large diesel-powered marine vessels.