Detailed Summary: Clean Air Act Results
The Clean Air Act has reduced pollution for more than 45 years while the economy has expanded. Since 1970, the Clean Air Act has demonstrated that preserving public health and fostering economic growth are compatible goals. Programmes under the Clean Air Act have reduced levels of several harmful pollutants as well as six prevalent pollutants: particles, ozone, lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide. The total emissions of the six common pollutants (PM2.5 and PM10, SO2, NOx, VOCs, CO, and Pb) decreased by 78% between 1970 and 2020. While U.S. economic indices are still strong, this progress was made. The quality of the air we breathe has dramatically improved as a result of the emissions reductions. National air pollution concentrations decreased by 73% for carbon monoxide, 86% for lead (from 2010), 61% for annual nitrogen dioxide, 25% for ozone, 26% for 24-hour coarse particle concentrations, 41% for annual fine particles (from 2000), and 91% for sulphur dioxide ...