Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act
Encyclopedia
The Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act is a 1965 amendment to the U.S. Clean Air Act
of 1963. The amendment set the first federal vehicle emissions
standards, beginning with the 1968 models. These standards were reductions from the 1963 emissions: 72% reduction for hydrocarbon
s, 56% reduction for carbon monoxide
, and 100% reduction for crankcase hydrocarbons. The impact the regulatory standards will have on air quality in the future, as well as the potential characteristics of the vehicle fleet can be analyzed with the use of roadway air dispersion models.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a department specific to the Clean Air Act. Its purpose is to make sure the amount of air pollution emitted stays inside the standards set by the U.S. Each state is required to have a state implementation plan (SIPs) that clearly indicates how it will enforce the regulations of the Clean Air Act. The states have to create regulations of their own that also adhere to the guidelines of the U.S. regulations; in order to do so, they must hold hearings so the public can contribute ideas and provide feedback.
, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead
. These pollutants are detrimental to health, the environment, and a person's home and other belongings. The worst two of the six pollutants are particle pollution and ground-level ozone, which have to be regulated by the EPA. Particle pollution, or particle matter, consists of soot, smoke, and chemically formed "droplets". These particles are very small and can bury themselves deep inside the lungs. Ground-level ozone is found in smog
and can also negatively affect the lungs. Ozone is composed of two chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). VOCs come from cars burning gasoline, petroleum refineries, chemical manufacturing plants, etc, while NOx results from burning gasoline, coal, or oil.
to effectively clean up the exhaust. Unlike most small cars, the majority of trucks, buses, and "non-road" equipment use diesel engines because they are more fuel efficient. However, they are also more harmful to the environment. In order to cut the emissions, the EPA issued rules to combine strict emissions standards for diesel engines and to lower sulfur diesel fuel.
Alternative fuels such as natural gas, propane
, methanol
, ethanol
, electricity, and biodiesel
, are a major area of interest for the Clean Air Act. It is also important to find renewable fuels that can come from resources such as wood, waste paper, grasses, vegetable oils, and corn.
in "downwind states". Sometimes pollution from "upwind states" blows into the downwind states, which can affect their air quality standards. These states can ask the EPA to enforce "a federal plan" to make sure that the standards are met. The Clean Air Act also requires that national parks maintain clear air; therefore, the EPA must collaborate with states to diminish the "regional haze" in national parks and wilderness areas.
(SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Power plants that burn coal and "heavy oil" are accountable for over two-thirds of SO2 emissions annually in the U.S., while automobiles emit about fifty percent NOx and power plants emit about forty percent. The remaining percentages are from industrial and commercial boilers.
Any toxin is harmful to life on Earth. Acid rain and snow can increase the acidity in lakes and streams long enough to harm fish and other forms of life. Sulfur dioxide can be dangerous to children and the elderly by causing serious damage to lung tissue. In 1990, the Clean Air Act was changed to include a "nationwide approach" to lowering SO2 and NOx emissions. A cap was placed on the total SO2 emissions from electric power plants across the U.S.
, it protects the Earth from ultraviolet
rays from the sun. The stratosphere blocks some of the light called ultraviolet B, which can cause skin cancer and eye damage. It can also damage plant life on land and in the ocean. Some of the main pollutants that are harmful to the stratosphere are called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). They come from aerosols such as hairspray, air conditioners, and some other types. They were banned in the 1970s. In the 1980s, scientists found that there were holes in the ozone around the South Pole. As a result, over 190 countries, including the United States, signed the 1987 Montreal Protocol
. This agreement is designated to eliminating chemicals that harm the stratosphere. The 1990 Clean Air Act "phased out" the most harmful chemicals and in 1996, production of CFCs, halons, and methyl chloroform ended in the United States. There are still holes in the ozone that will take approximately 60 years to close up because of the chemicals that are already in the stratosphere.
Clean Air Act
A Clean Air Act is one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of airborne contaminants, smog and air pollution in general. The use by governments to enforce clean air standards has contributed to an improvement in human health and longer life spans...
of 1963. The amendment set the first federal vehicle emissions
Automobile emissions control
Vehicle emissions control is the study and practice of reducing the motor vehicle emissions -- emissions produced by motor vehicles, especially internal combustion engines....
standards, beginning with the 1968 models. These standards were reductions from the 1963 emissions: 72% reduction for hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls....
s, 56% reduction for carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
, and 100% reduction for crankcase hydrocarbons. The impact the regulatory standards will have on air quality in the future, as well as the potential characteristics of the vehicle fleet can be analyzed with the use of roadway air dispersion models.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a department specific to the Clean Air Act. Its purpose is to make sure the amount of air pollution emitted stays inside the standards set by the U.S. Each state is required to have a state implementation plan (SIPs) that clearly indicates how it will enforce the regulations of the Clean Air Act. The states have to create regulations of their own that also adhere to the guidelines of the U.S. regulations; in order to do so, they must hold hearings so the public can contribute ideas and provide feedback.
Cleaning Up Commonly Found Air Pollutants
The six common air pollutants of primary concern to the United States are particle pollution, ground-level ozone, carbon monoxideCarbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
. These pollutants are detrimental to health, the environment, and a person's home and other belongings. The worst two of the six pollutants are particle pollution and ground-level ozone, which have to be regulated by the EPA. Particle pollution, or particle matter, consists of soot, smoke, and chemically formed "droplets". These particles are very small and can bury themselves deep inside the lungs. Ground-level ozone is found in smog
Smog
Smog is a type of air pollution; the word "smog" is a portmanteau of smoke and fog. Modern smog is a type of air pollution derived from vehicular emission from internal combustion engines and industrial fumes that react in the atmosphere with sunlight to form secondary pollutants that also combine...
and can also negatively affect the lungs. Ozone is composed of two chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). VOCs come from cars burning gasoline, petroleum refineries, chemical manufacturing plants, etc, while NOx results from burning gasoline, coal, or oil.
Cars, Trucks, Buses, and Non-road Equipment
Motor vehicles contribute a great deal to air pollution, so to reduce the amount of emissions released, the EPA placed restrictions on fuel and engine production. As a result, manufacturers are required to build cleaner engines and refiners are required to produce cleaner fuels. Gasoline used to include lead, which can cause damage to bodily functions and organs and sulfur was lowered over 90 percent in fuels because it doesn't allow a vehicle's catalytic converterCatalytic converter
A catalytic converter is a device used to convert toxic exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine into non-toxic substances. Inside a catalytic converter, a catalyst stimulates a chemical reaction in which noxious byproducts of combustion are converted to less toxic substances by dint...
to effectively clean up the exhaust. Unlike most small cars, the majority of trucks, buses, and "non-road" equipment use diesel engines because they are more fuel efficient. However, they are also more harmful to the environment. In order to cut the emissions, the EPA issued rules to combine strict emissions standards for diesel engines and to lower sulfur diesel fuel.
Alternative fuels such as natural gas, propane
Propane
Propane is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula , normally a gas, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used as a fuel for engines, oxy-gas torches, barbecues, portable stoves, and residential central...
, methanol
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
, ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
, electricity, and biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
, are a major area of interest for the Clean Air Act. It is also important to find renewable fuels that can come from resources such as wood, waste paper, grasses, vegetable oils, and corn.
Interstate and International Air Pollution
Air pollution is not contained and is carried by the wind all over the world. Industries contribute air pollution in the form of smog and hazeHaze
Haze is traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon where dust, smoke and other dry particles obscure the clarity of the sky. The World Meteorological Organization manual of codes includes a classification of horizontal obscuration into categories of fog, ice fog, steam fog, mist, haze, smoke, volcanic...
in "downwind states". Sometimes pollution from "upwind states" blows into the downwind states, which can affect their air quality standards. These states can ask the EPA to enforce "a federal plan" to make sure that the standards are met. The Clean Air Act also requires that national parks maintain clear air; therefore, the EPA must collaborate with states to diminish the "regional haze" in national parks and wilderness areas.
Reducing Acid Rain
Acid precipitation comes in more forms than just rain. Snow, fog, mist, gas, and dust are also formed in the atmosphere and have the ability to become acid precipitation. These types of precipitation are formed when certain types of air pollutants mix with the moisture in the air to form an acid. Each type is potentially dangerous to humans' health, can cause haze and problems in the environment, and can cause damage to people's properties. The two main pollutants that cause acid precipitation are sulfur dioxideSulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...
(SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Power plants that burn coal and "heavy oil" are accountable for over two-thirds of SO2 emissions annually in the U.S., while automobiles emit about fifty percent NOx and power plants emit about forty percent. The remaining percentages are from industrial and commercial boilers.
Any toxin is harmful to life on Earth. Acid rain and snow can increase the acidity in lakes and streams long enough to harm fish and other forms of life. Sulfur dioxide can be dangerous to children and the elderly by causing serious damage to lung tissue. In 1990, the Clean Air Act was changed to include a "nationwide approach" to lowering SO2 and NOx emissions. A cap was placed on the total SO2 emissions from electric power plants across the U.S.
Reducing Toxic Air Pollutants
Toxic air pollutants are the suspected cause of major illnesses and issues with reproductive problems. These pollutants stay in the environment for long periods, which can affect all living things and start a chain of negative events. In particular, smokestacks and automobiles are the two main sources of toxic air pollutants. When refueling, the gases turn into vapor that leak into the air. "Before the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, EPA regulated air toxics one chemical at a time." The EPA now regulates pollutants by categories of industries because they release more than one chemical at a time. Some of the categories are, chemical plants, incinerators, dry cleaners, and manufacturers of wood furniture. Since the 1990 Clean Air Act, air toxics from large industries have already been reduced by 70 percent.Protecting the Stratosphere Ozone Layer
Ozone can be harmful if it is ground-level, but if it is in the stratosphereStratosphere
The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. It is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down. This is in contrast to the troposphere near the Earth's surface, which is cooler...
, it protects the Earth from ultraviolet
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
rays from the sun. The stratosphere blocks some of the light called ultraviolet B, which can cause skin cancer and eye damage. It can also damage plant life on land and in the ocean. Some of the main pollutants that are harmful to the stratosphere are called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). They come from aerosols such as hairspray, air conditioners, and some other types. They were banned in the 1970s. In the 1980s, scientists found that there were holes in the ozone around the South Pole. As a result, over 190 countries, including the United States, signed the 1987 Montreal Protocol
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion...
. This agreement is designated to eliminating chemicals that harm the stratosphere. The 1990 Clean Air Act "phased out" the most harmful chemicals and in 1996, production of CFCs, halons, and methyl chloroform ended in the United States. There are still holes in the ozone that will take approximately 60 years to close up because of the chemicals that are already in the stratosphere.