Federal Laws to Prevent Pollution

In the late 20th century, the federal government responded to the growing pollution problem across the country and protestations from American citizens with two pieces of legislation aimed at keeping the country’s air, land, and water clean. The United States Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for setting limits for pollution and enforcing these landmark rules.     

The Clean Air Act of 1970

The Clean Air Act of 1970: This legislation authorized the development of comprehensive federal and state regulations to limit emissions from both stationary (e.g., industrial) sources and mobile sources (e.g., vehicles and airplanes) to protect the environment and public health.   

 

Read this New York Times article for information on the success of the Clean Air Act and the effects of air pollution on United States’ residents.   

The Clean Water Act of 1972

The Clean Water Act of 1972: This legislation established the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and set quality standards for surface waters. 

 

Learn more about the Clean Water Act and what more needs to be done to protect the country’s bodies of water. 

In 1990, Congress passed the Clear Air Act Amendments aimed at curbing three major threats to the nation's environment and to the health of millions of Americans: acid rain, urban air pollution, and toxic air emissions. The Clean Air and Water acts have faced much scrutiny over the past 50 years, particularly from business and industry who feel that the government is restricting their abilities to operate, as well as from state governments who push back against the federal government’s right to regulate water within their state borders.  

What’s happening today?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “More than 20 years after the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, some power plants still do not control emissions of toxic pollutants, even though pollution control technology is widely available. … In 1990, three industry sectors made up approximately two-thirds of total U.S. mercury emissions: medical waste incinerators, municipal waste combustors, and power plants. The first two of these sectors have been subject to emissions standards for years and as a result have reduced their mercury emissions by more than 95 percent. In addition, mercury standards for industries such as cement production, steel manufacturing and many others have reduced mercury emissions from these sources.”

As of December 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new mercury regulations:

 

“EPA has proposed to reaffirm the determination that it is appropriate and necessary to regulate hazardous air pollutants (HAP), including mercury, from power plants after considering cost. These regulations are known as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for power plants, or MATS. This action would revoke a 2020 finding that it is not appropriate and necessary to regulate coal- and oil-fired power plants under Clean Air Act (CAA) section 112.  This proposal would ensure that fossil-fuel fired power plants continue to control emissions of toxic air pollution, including mercury.”

Source of Mercury Emissions in the United States

Activities