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EPA and
Clean Air Act
Facts for kids
The following fact
sheet contains interesting facts and
information on the Clean Air Act for kids.
Clean Air Act
Facts for kids
Clean Air Act
Facts - 1: Many events led to
the passing of the Clean Air Act. Problems with
pollution began with
Industrialization in
America
which led to the rapid
Urbanization
of
America creating cities with high pollution from the
heavy, dense smoke from factories and poor sanitation due to untreated waste and raw sewage.
Clean Air Act
Facts -
2: The invention of the automobile
created the demand for powerful cars and leaded gas
(gasoline spiked with lead) was introduced in the 1920's
to enhance engine performance.
Clean Air Act
Facts - 3: Incidents such as the 1948 Donora
smog in the industrial town of Donora, Pennsylvania alerted the
American public to the deadly effects of air pollution. The Air
Pollution Control Act of 1955 was passed concerns began to rise
about the effects of using pesticides.
Clean Air Act
Facts - 4: President Lyndon
B. Johnson passed the Clean Air Act of 1963
to establish a federal program within the U.S. Public
Health Service providing funding for research and the cleanup of
air pollution.
Clean Air Act
Facts - 5: The Air Quality
Act of 1967 was passed placing the primary responsibility of
addressing air quality in the hands of local and state government,
but not at a national level.
Clean Air Act
Facts - 6: The disastrous 1969 Santa Barbara
oil spill inspired Senator Gaylord Nelson, Representative Pete McCloskey and
environmentalist Morton Hilbert, to
organize a massive demonstration on behalf of the environment
which came to be known as "Earth Day" and there was a
public outcry in favor of environmental reform.
Clean Air Act
Facts - 7:
The overwhelming response to Earth Day put the subject
of pollution and its effects on the environment on the
political agenda and President Richard Nixon signed and
extension to the Clean Air Act in 1970.
Clean Air
Law
Facts - 8:
The Clean Air Act of 1970 was designed to control air
pollution on a national level and
established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
to curb pollution.
Clean Air
Law
Facts -
9:
The Act of 1970 resulted in the establishment
of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on December 2, 1970.
Clean Air
Law Facts - 10: The Act of 1970 required that the EPA identified and set standards
for pollutants identified as harmful to human health and the environment.
Clean Air
Law
Facts -
11: 'Primary
standards' set limits to protect public health and
'Secondary standards' set limits to protect the American
public from contamination by pesticides to vegetation or
farm crops.
Continued...
Clean Air Act
Facts for kids
Facts
about the Clean Air Act for kids
The following fact
sheet continues with facts about the EPA and the Clean Air Act for kids.
Clean Air Act
Facts for kids
Clean Air Act
Facts - 12: The Clean Air Act
of 1970
required that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) for six common air pollutants, (also
known as "criteria pollutants"). The Six Common Air
Pollutants are:
● Carbon
monoxide
● Nitrogen
dioxide
● Ground-level
Ozone
● Sulfur dioxide
● Particulate
matter
● Lead
Clean Air Act
Facts - 13: Air Pollution: Air
Pollution is caused by activities such as driving
automobiles, burning coal, oil, and other fossil fuels
and manufacturing chemicals. Pollutants are known to
harm health and the environment.
Clean Air Act
Facts - 14: Lead: The major sources
of lead emissions are from the fuels used in cars and trucks. The
widespread use of leaded fuels resulted in extensive environmental
contamination that could harm the kidneys, liver, nervous system and
other organs. Young children are particularly vulnerable to lead
poisoning.
Clean Air Act
Facts - 15: Lead: The Clean Air Act
of 1970 required a phase down of leaded gasoline phase down and was
one of the most important environmental initiatives ever to be
established. General Motors announced it would make the switch to
cleaner gas by 1974 to meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act
and the other major auto companies followed suit.
Clean Air Act
Facts - 16: Ground-level
Ozone: At ground level, ozone is considered a major
air pollutant and is the main component of smog. Ground
level or "bad" ozone is not emitted directly into the
air, but is created by chemical reactions between oxides
of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds in the
presence of sunlight.
Clean Air Act
Facts - 17: Ozone:
Ozone exposure is especially dangerous for children and
the elderly producing symptoms such as shortness of
breath, pain during deep breaths, wheezing and coughing,
effects are likened to "sunburn on the lung".
Clean Air Act
Facts - 18: Carbon
monoxide: Carbon
monoxide is highly poisonous gas that is formed by
the incomplete combustion of carbon of fossil fuels such
as coal, natural gas, petroleum and wood. Carbon
monoxide can cause harmful health effects by
reducing oxygen delivery to the heart and brain
Clean Air Act Facts - 19:
Nitrogen
dioxide: Nitrogen dioxide is another highly
poisonous gas produced by combustion of fossil fuels.
Nitrogen dioxide forms quickly from emissions from cars
and power plants and is strongly linked with a number of
adverse effects on the respiratory system.
Clean Air Act
Facts -
20: Sulfur dioxide: Sulfur dioxide
is a waste gas produced by burning coal and oil and by
many industrial processes, such as smelting. It is
linked with a number of adverse effects on the
respiratory system. Sulfur dioxide is a hazardous air
pollutant and a major contributor to acid rain.
Clean Air Act
Facts -
21: Particulate
matter: Particulate matter are tiny, fine particles
suspended in air many of which are hazardous to the
environment. Particulate matter is a complex mixture of
extremely small particles in soot, smoke, pollen dirt
and liquid droplets with an aerodynamic size less than
10 micrometers.
Clean Air Act
Facts -
22:
Amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990 focused on
further reducing air pollutant emissions and air pollution. In the 1990 law
US Congress also recognized that Native American Indian
Tribes have the authority to implement air pollution
control programs.
Clean Air Act
Facts -
23: The Clean Air Act has helped to cut
dangerous pollutants, clean-up air pollution phase out
the production and use of chemicals that contribute to
the hole in the ozone layer. Since 1980
● Ground-level ozone has
reduced by more than 25%
● Sulfur dioxide has reduced by
71%
● Nitrogen dioxide has reduced
by 46%
● Lead content in gasoline has
reduced by 92% and levels of lead in the air have
decreased by 94%
Clean Air Act
Facts for kids
The Clean Air Act
of 1963, 1970 and 1990
Visitors interested in pollution and the environment
might be interested in the following articles:
The Clean Air Act
of 1963, 1970 and 1990
●
Interesting Facts about the Clean Air Act for kids
●
Summary of the Clean Air Act in US history
●
The Clean Air Act of important, key
events
● Air Pollution and
the Clean Air Act for kids
●
Fast, fun facts about the Clean Air Act
●
The Clean Air Act fight against pollution
● Pollution and
the
Clean Air Act for schools,
homework, kids and children |
