The Clean Air Act (CAA) is the primary federal air quality law designed to reduce and regulate air pollution nationwide. In 1970, Congress greatly expanded the CAA. The act is administered by the US Environmental Protection Agency in coordination with state, local, and tribal governments. After the implementation of the CAA, American air quality significantly improved, saving trillions of dollars and thousands of lives every year.
The Clean Air Act along with the Clean Water Act overwhelmingly improved air quality in an unprecedented reform of American policy. It marked a shift towards environmental protection and a change in the American mindset.