Clean Air Act (CAA) (1970)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (42 U.S.C. § 7401 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
The CAA established a comprehensive federal program to regulate air emissions from stationary and mobile sources, protect public health, and improve air quality.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Built on earlier air quality statutes (1955, 1963, 1967). The 1970 Act created the modern framework for federal and state cooperation, including the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).