We will be holding hearings, asking questions, listening to experts and hearing from affected citizens. We have lived with this important law for almost 30 years and it is important to assess both its successes and its failures. The good news is that our air is cleaner today than it was 20 or 30 years ago.
Air pollution is down in almost every important category.
The Clean Air Act has played a role in these improvements. At the same time, the Clean Air Act has had its share of serious problems and failures. Under the Act, we are often chasing after pennies of benefits for many dollars in costs. Regulations are often set without fully assessing the costs, the alternatives, the substitution risks or the possible unintended side effects. Later, a court struck down the EPA s new ozone standard, saying the agency had not considered possible increases in skin cancers.