How was the Clean Air Act Established?
Recognizing the need to reduce and limit air pollution, Congress passed the original Clean Air Act of 1963 to provide funding to study and clean up air pollution. A much stronger Clean Air Act, passed in 1970, was the first comprehensive federal response to address air pollution. In this same year, Congress also created EPA and gave it the primary role of enforcing the law. Since 1970, EPA has been responsible for various Clean Air Act programs to reduce air pollution nationwide. In 1990, Congress revised and expanded the Clean Air Act, giving EPA broader authority to implement and enforce regulations reducing air pollutant emissions. The 1990 amendments also emphasized more cost-effective approaches to reduce air pollution. See EPA’s Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act for more information.
