1990 Clean Air Act Amendment Summary: Title I
Provisions for Attainment and Maintenance of National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Although the Clean Air Act of 1977 brought about significant improvements in our Nation's air quality, the urban air pollution problems of ozone (smog), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM-10) persist. Currently, over 100 million Americans live in cities which are out of attainment with the public health standards for ozone.
The most widespread and persistent urban pollution problem is ozone. The causes of this and the lesser problem of carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM-10) pollution in our urban areas are largely due to the diversity and number of urban air pollution sources. One component of urban smog - hydrocarbons - comes from automobile emissions, petroleum refineries, chemical plants, dry cleaners, gasoline stations, house painting and printing shops. Another key component - nitrogen oxides - comes from the combustion of fuel for transportation, utilities and industries.
While there are other reasons for continued high levels of ozone pollution, such as growth in the number of stationary sources of hydrocarbons and continued growth in automobile travel, perhaps the most telling reason is that the remaining sources of hydrocarbons are also the most difficult to control. These are the small sources - generally those that emit less than 100 tons of hydrocarbons per year. These sources, such as auto body shops and dry cleaners, may individually emit less than 10 tons per year, but collectively emit many hundreds of tons of pollution.
The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 create a new, balanced strategy for the Nation to attack the problem of urban smog. Overall, the new law reveals the Congress's high expectations of the states and the Federal government. While it gives states more time to meet the air quality standard - up to 20 years for ozone in Los Angeles -, it also requires states to make constant formidable progress in reducing emissions. It requires the Federal government to reduce emissions from cars, trucks, and buses; from consumer products such as hair spray and window washing compounds; and from ships and barges during loading and unloading of petroleum products. The Federal government must also develop the technical guidance that States need to control stationary sources.
The new law addresses the urban air pollution problems of ozone (smog), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM-10). Specifically, it clarifies how areas are designated and redesignated "attainment" It also allows EPA to define the boundaries of "nonattainment" areas: geographical areas whose air quality does not meet Federal air quality standards designed to protect public health.
The new law also establishes provisions defining when and how the federal government can impose sanctions on areas of the country that have not met certain conditions.
For the pollutant ozone, the new law establishes nonattainment area classifications ranked according to the severity of the areas's air pollution problem. These classifications are marginal, moderate, serious, severe and extreme. EPA assigns each nonattainment area one of these categories, thus triggering varying requirements the area must comply with in order to meet the ozone standard.
As mentioned, nonattainment areas will have to implement different control measures, depending upon their classification. Marginal areas, for example, are the closest to meeting the standard. They will be required to conduct an inventory of their ozone - causing emissions and institute a permit program. Nonattainment areas with more serious air quality problems must implement various control measures. The worse the air quality, the more controls areas will have to implement.
The new law also establishes similar programs for areas that do not meet the federal health standards for the pollutants carbon monoxide and particulate matter. Areas exceeding the standards for these pollutants will be divided into "moderate" and "serious" classifications. Depending upon the degree to which they exceed the carbon monoxide standard, areas will be required to implement programs introducing oxygenated fuels and/or enhanced emission inspection programs, among other measures. Depending upon their classification, areas exceeding the particulate matter standard will have to implement either reasonably available control measures (RACM) or best available control measures (BACM), among other requirements.