The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 established new programs & made changes in the ways that air pollution is controlled. The amendments require the EPA to take actions -- such as issuing new regulations & guidance documents, undertaking research studies, & preparing reports to the Congress -- & specify a deadline for many of them. This report provides information on the implementation of the first 6 titles of the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments It: (1) provides information on the status of EPA's implementation of the requirements established by the 1990 amendments, & (2) obtains views from state governments, industries that are regulated under the act, & environmental advocacy groups on the issues.

Implementation Strategy for the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990: Update

The Clean Air Act, last reauthorized and amended by the Congress in 1990, provides for several related programs designed to protect health and control air pollution. The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 established new programs and made major changes in the ways that air pollution is controlled. The amendments require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take several steps and specify a deadline for many of them. Most of these requirements are found in the amendments' first six titles; EPA has identified 538 such requirements, 361 of which have a statutory deadline. The amendments also set deadlines for states and local air pollution control agencies to respond to the rules promulgated by EPA. This report (1) provides information on the status of EPA's implementation of the requirements established by the 1990 amendments and (2) obtains views from state governments, local programs, industries that are regulated under the act, and environmental advocacy groups on issues that have either helped or hindered the implementation of the 1990 amendments. This testimony summarizes the April 2000 report GAO/RCED-00-72.

This updated analysis of the Clean Air Act of 1990 and how it has been enforced serves as a primer on air pollution regulation and the legislative process, and should be of interest to people in government, industry, and environmental groups -- and everyone interested in how the government walks the tightrope between economic interests and the protection of its citizens.

Implementation Strategy For The Clean Air Act Amendments Of 1990 Update 1992