AIR POLLUTION: STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION AND ISSUES OF THE CLEAN AIR ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1990

With reauthorization of the Clean Air Act impending, the General Accounting Office (GAO) was asked to provide information on the implementation of the first six titles of the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments. Specifically they were asked to (1) provide information on the status of Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) implementation of the requirements established by the 1990 amendments and (2) obtain views from state governments, local programs, industries that are regulated under the act, and environmental advocacy groups (collectively referred to as stakeholders) on the issues that have either helped or hindered the implementation of the 1990 amendments. Briefly, as of February 2000, EPA had identified 538 requirements under the 1990 amendments' first six titles, of which 409 have been met. Of the requirements that have been met, 162 had no statutory deadlines, and the remaining 247 had statutory deadlines before the end of February 2000. Stakeholders provided a variety of views on the issues that have helped or hindered the implementation of the six titles. The most commonly cited issues were: 1) the degree of flexibility allowed for states and regulated pollution sources to determine how they will achieve required air quality improvements, 2) the extent to which goals and requirements are clearly specified in the statute or regulations, and 3) the adequacy of resources at the state and local level to effectively implement and enforce the statute.

• Record URL:
  http://www.gao.gov/docdblite/summary.php?recflag=&rptno=RCED-00-72
• Record URL:
  http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-763T
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/14585
• Supplemental Notes:
  • United States General Accounting Office Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Clean Air, Wetlands, Private Property, and Nuclear Safety, Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. Senate
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. General Accounting Office

  441 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20548
• Publication Date: 2000-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 59 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Advocacy groups; Air pollution; Air quality; Environmental protection; Financing; Implementation; Improvements; Industries; State government; Strategic planning
• Identifier Terms: Clean Air Act Amendments
• Uncontrolled Terms: Flexibility (Adaptability)
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00795477
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: GAO/RCED-00-72
• Files: NTL, TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 10 2000 12:00AM