Policy Monitor

The management of air quality in the United States has evolved into a sophisticated array of rules, strategies, and initiatives since the landmark Clean Air Act (CAA) legislation of 1970 and the subsequent creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In particular, the CAA Amendments of 1990 introduced several new programs that have substantially reshaped the nation's approach to air pollution control. This article describes the 1990 CAA Amendments, regulations issued by EPA following their passage, progress made in air quality management in the nearly twenty years since their enactment, and the likely future direction of U.S. air quality management programs at the federal level. Copyright 2010, Oxford University Press.