Clean Air Act
Overview
Enacted in 1955 to protect the nation’s air quality, the Clean Air Act (“CAA”), took its current form after the 1990 amendments. 42 U.S.C. 7401–7675. The CAA defines its purpose as “to protect and enhance the quality of the Nation’s air resources so as to promote the public health and welfare and the productive capacity of its population.” 42 U.S.C. § 7401. The CAA provides a comprehensive and complex regulatory framework for regulating air pollution’s stationary and mobile sources. It requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish minimum national standards for air quality while assigning the primary responsibility for enforcement and compliance to the states. The CAA also establishes a permit system for all major sources of pollution and addresses prevention of pollution in areas with clean air. Read the full overview.
Note: Recently added resources are posted at the top of the applicable sections.
Major Statutes
Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 7401–7675
Major Provisions
Air Quality Control Regions, 42 U.S.C. § 7407
National Primary & Secondary Ambient Air Quality Standards, 42 U.S.C. § 7409
State Implementation Plans, 42 U.S.C. § 7410
Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources, 42 U.S.C. § 7411
Hazardous Air Pollutants, 42 U.S.C. § 7412
Federal Enforcement, 42 U.S.C.. § 7413
Noncompliance Penalty, 42 U.S.C. § 7420
Listing of Certain Unregulated Pollutants, 42 U.S.C. § 7422
Permit Requirements, 42 U.S.C. § 7503
Definitions, 42 U.S.C. § 7602
Regulations
Air Programs, 40 C.F.R. §§ 50–98
Air Pollution Controls, 40 C.F.R. §§ 1000–1099
National Primary and Secondary Ambient Air Quality Standards, 40 C.F.R. § 50
Requirements for Preparation, Adoption, and Submittal of Implementation Plans, 40 C.F.R. § 51
Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans, 40 C.F.R. § 52
National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards for Consumer and Commercial Products, 40 C.F.R. § 59
Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources, 40 C.F.R. § 60
National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollution, 40 C.F.R. § 61
Approval and Promulgation of State Plans for Designed Facilities and Pollutants, 40 C.F.R. § 62
National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Source Categories, 40 C.F.R. § 63
Compliance Assurance Monitoring, 40 C.F.R. § 64
Special Exemptions from Requirements of the Clean Air Act, 40 C.F.R. § 69
Appeals Procedures, 40 C.F.R. § 78
Designations of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purpose, 40 C.F.R. § 81
Determining Conformity of Federal Actions to State or Federal Implementations Plans, 40 C.F.R. 93
Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting, 40 C.F.R. § 98
Preemption of State Standards and Procedures for Waiver of Federal Preemption for Nonroad Engines and Nonroad Vehicles, 40 C.F.R. 1074
Case Law
Case Law Index for Clean Air Act
Administrative Law Decisions
E.P.A. Office of Administrative Law Judges (OAJL)
EPA Environmental Appeals Board
Clean Air Act: Agriculture-Related Enforcement Cases
USDA Judicial Officer’s Decisions (NALC published)
Center Research Publications
Environmental Justice State Compilation (Rollins & Shehan, 2022)
Environmental Law: Federal Laws That Affect Agriculture – PowerPoint Presentation (Springsteen, 2019)
The Renewable Fuels Standard Provisions Under the Clean Air Act: Overview and Recent Developments (Foy, 2008)
2005 Environmental Law Update (Feitshans, 2005)
Managing Carbon in a World Economy: The Role of American Agriculture (Garry, 2005)
Congressional Research Service Reports
Reports– published and made available by CRS beginning in 2017
Subjects- published by CRS and made available by NALC until 2018:
Climate Change
Energy & Natural Resources
Environmental Issues
Agricultural Law Bibliography
Introduction | Keyword Search | Browse Categories
Legal publications on Clean Water Act:
Environmental Issues
Pesticides, Herbicides, Insecticides, Fungicides, Fertilizers
Reference Resources
Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
National Research Program: Soil and Air
National Research Program: Agricultural and Industrial Byproducts
Economic Research Service (ERS)
Fertilizers and Pesticides
Conservation Programs
Crop & Livestock Practices
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Agriculture
Air Topics
Clearing House for Inventory and Emissions Factors
Agriculture and Air Quality
Air Monitoring at Agricultural Operations
Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Criteria Air Pollutants
Clean Air Act and Air Pollution: Overview
Clean Air Act (CAA) Compliance Monitoring
Clean Air Act Stationary Source Compliance Monitoring Strategy
Clean Air Act Permitting for Greenhouse Gases
Clean Air Act: Summary
Permitting Under the Clean Air Act
Certification and Compliance for Non-Road Vehicles and Engines
Particulate Matter (PM) Pollution
Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act
Air Research
Air Quality Implementation Plans
Regulatory and Guidance Information by Topic: Air
Nonattainment Areas for Criteria Pollutants
Air Resource Management Program
National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
NIFA Air Quality Programs
Global Change and Climate Programs
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Agricultural Air Quality Task Force
Air Quality and Atmospheric Change
Conservation Planning
How to Get Assistance from NRCS for Farms, Ranches and Forests
National Greenhouse Gas Inventory
Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Assessment Program
Congressional Resources
Reports on Clean Air Act (Government Accountability Office)
House Natural Resources Committee
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Congressional Research Service
Other Federal Resources
AirNow: Air Quality by Zip Code, City or State
Office of Environment, Health, Safety & Security: Clean Air Act
Publications
Examining the State of Air Quality Monitoring Technology (Hammad, 2024)
California and the Clean Air Act Waiver: FAQ (Barczewski et al., 2024)
Clean Air Act: A Summary of the Act and Its Major Requirements (Lattanzio, 2022)
Clean Air Act Issues in the 117th Congress (Shouse, 2021)
Clean Air Act: Electricity Sector and Greenhouse Gas Standards (Shouse, 2021)
Clean Air Act Issues for the 116th Congress (Lattanzio et al., 2019)
The Clean Air Act’s Good Neighbor Provision: Overview of Interstate Air Pollution Control (Shouse, 2018)
Policy Evolution under the Clean Air Act (Schmalensee & Stavins, 2018)
Valuing The Clean Air Act (Holladay, 2017)
The Creature from the Potomac Basin: Environmental Law under the Trump Administration (Ferrell, Goeringer & Lashmet, 2017)
One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Three if by Air: The Changing Face of Environmental Regulation of Production Agriculture (Ferrell & Lashmet, 2016)
Impact of the Clean Air Act Ross et al., 2014)
Clean Air Act: EPA Should Improve the Management of Its Air Toxics Program (GAO, 2006)
International Resources
1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP)
China: National Air Quality Action Plan
Japan: Air Pollution
European Commission: Clean Air
Russia: Environmental Protection Regulations
India: Air Pollution
CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security
Climate & Clean Air Coalition
Additional Resources
Looking Back at 50 Years of the Clean Act of 1970
The Clean Air Act Handbook (American Bar Association, 4th edition)
Animal Agriculture and Air Quality (Iowa State University)
Publications and Research Reports (Iowa State University)
California Air Resources Board
Sabin Center for Climate Change Law (Columbia School of Law)
Regulation of Greenhouse Gases Under the Clean Air Act (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions)
Feedlot Air Emissions Treatment Cost Calculator (extension)
Georgia’s Clean Air Force
Legislative History of the Clean Air Act
Manure Management (University of Minnesota)
Mitigating Air Emissions from Animal Manure: Summaries of Innovative Technology (extension)
National Air Quality Site Assessment Tool
National Association of Clean Air Agencies
Air Quality Forecast Guidance: National Weather Service
Our Nation’s Air: Trends Through 2021
National Environmental Public Health Tracking: Air Quality (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
National Air Quality Standards (World Health Organization)
Purdue Agricultural Air Quality Laboratory (Purdue University)
Air Quality Regulation of Animal Agriculture (extension)