In 1970, Congress passed the Clean Air Act (CAA) to give the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to clean the air. Major revisions to the Clean Air Act occurred in 1990, and are referred to as the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA).
The EPA works with states and the District to implement the CAA and CAAA by developing regulation and programs. The District's regulations are at least as stringent, and sometimes more stringent, than requirements imposed by the EPA. They are enacted under DC's Air Pollution Control Act of 1984 and Amendments, and can be found in Title 20 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) as outlined below:
The District's law that enacted Title 20 of the DCMR is called the Air Pollution Control Act of 1984. The law became effective on March 15, 1985, and has been amended several times since then.
A record of the history of changes to the District's air quality laws and regulations since they were established in 1984, as approved by EPA, can found in
Title 40, Subpart J of the Federal Register.
