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How to Understanding The U.S. Clean Air Act

By Daniel Stouffer

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 20Apr2009 Word count: 632 Viewed: 406 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

The U.S. Clean Air Act is aimed at reducing air pollution to improve the country's air quality with specific requirements for the management of refrigerant gases. In addition, the law targets harmful substances that weaken the stratospheric ozone layer. As such, companies, in particular manufacturers, utility providers and facilities with HVAC-R equipment that use chemical substances and refrigerants, are required to follow the federal law.

The U.S. Clean Air Act was established in 1963 by the U.S. Congress. Prior to its passage, there were numerous other measures pertaining to the improvement of the nation's air quality. They included the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955, the Air Quality Act of 1967, the Clean Air Act Extension of 1970 and the Amendments of 1977. Since its establishment in 1963, the U.S. Clean Air Act required several amendments and extensions to address new developments linked to air pollution and to assist states in complying with the law.

Overseeing the U.S. Clean Air Act is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Among the issues the federal law addresses are air pollution prevention and control, ozone protection, air quality and carbon emission limits (future additions), requirements to prevent substantial deterioration of air quality, and protection of the stratospheric ozone layer.

The U.S. Clean Air Act, while passed in 1963, was amended in 1990 with enhancements to the law. The amendments to the law included; acid rain controls, new auto gasoline reformulation regulations, implementation of a leak detection and repair program for AC/HVAC systems, new controls aimed at reducing interstate air pollution, establishment of a national permits program for HVAC-R equipment, requirements for attaining and maintaining national ambient air quality standards, stratospheric ozone and global climate protection, and provisions for enforcement of all regulations via fines executed against non-compliant organizations.

The U.S. Clean Air Act enforces air quality standards through the requirement of permits and certain monitoring and reporting methods. It also provides funding to U.S. states to implement clean air programs to monitor such things as air conditioning and systems containing refrigerant gases. Since implementation of the act requirements are conducted on the state level, the federal government supports each state with scientific research, studies and engineering design.

Through the U.S. Clean Air Act, the role of the federal government via the EPA and U.S. states is clearly defined when addressing air quality measures. Specific measures to address interstate air pollution, as well as leak detection and repair for HVAC-R systems, are spelled out in the regulation.

Although the U.S. Clean Air Act enforces air standards countrywide, the federal law requires each state to carry out most of the regulations and ensure their own compliance. A good example of this state by state implementation is the California Air Resources Board (CARB). They have and are continuing to implement tightly controlled programs to monitor and manage stationary refrigeration equipment containing refrigerant gases.

U.S. states are responsible for conducting permit application hearings submitted by a power or chemical plant, as well as administering fines on any company that violates air pollution controls. U.S. states are also required to establish implementation plans to show how they are enforcing the law.

With the U.S. Clean Air Act, the air quality in the United States will vastly improve as smog and air pollution is significantly reduced. There are also emerging standards on carbon emissions management as it relates to our collective Global Warming challenges.

These measures contained in the U.S. Clean Air Act, in turn, will lead to better health for all who live on planet Earth and better control over our emissions of greenhouse and refrigerant gases. The act also brings to light problem areas and usage to assist environmental experts in developing measures to keep our planet healthy.

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