The Clean Air Act: A time to assess impacts and management options

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 significantly altered the complexion of air emission regulation and for the first time established requirements for comprehensive emission control strategies. None of the provisions of this act will have as great an impact on the waste management industry as will the General Operating Permit Provisions of Title V. Title V establishes a program for issuing operating permits to all major sources (and certain other sources) of air pollutants in the U.S. These permits will collect in one place all applicable requirements, limitations, and conditions governing regulated air emissions. While past air regulations governed specific air emissions sources, as of November 1993 the law requires states and localities to regulate emissions from all major stationary sources that directly emit, or have the potential to emit, 100 tons or more of any pollutant, 10 tons or more of a single hazardous air pollutant, or 25 tons or more of two or more hazardous air pollutants.