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| The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
The 1970 Clean Air Act (CAA) requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set air quality standards referred to as the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect both public health and the public welfare (e.g. crops and vegetation). Ground-level ozone affects both.
The 1970 CAA, also created the U.S. EPA and authorized it to establish and enforce the NAAQS for the nation’s cities. The CAA required areas to create plans to meet the standards and set deadlines for achieving them. Using this authority, the EPA regulates NAAQS for six “criteria” air pollutants: sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone, and lead. The Act requires EPA to review the scientific data upon which the standards are based, and revise the standards, if necessary, every five years. Areas with more severe air pollution problems have a longer time to meet the standards, but also have more stringent control requirements placed on them.
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