EPA Issues Follow-up Report on 1990 Clean Air Act

President Bush Signs 1990 Amendments to Clean Air Act

In 1990 president Bush signed amendments to the Clean Air Act into law. Now, two decades later, the Environmental Protection Agency has released its report analyzing the costs and benefits that the amendments have had on the U.S. population and economy.

According to the report, the amendments prevented 13 million lost work days, 3.2 million lost school days, and 86,000 emergency room visits in 2010. Over the next decade, it is projected that another 17 million lost work days, 5.4 million lost school days, and 120,000 emergency room visits will likely be prevented. The costs associated with the legislation, about $65 million, are a fraction of the estimated $2 trillion in benefits forecast through the end of 2020. 

“The new EPA report showing a $2 trillion annual benefit from the Clean Air Act confirms the thrust of our October 2010 report – that the huge benefits associated with federal clean air rules far outweigh the relatively minor costs.  In a world of trade-offs, the Clean Air Act is a clear-cut winner when it comes to generating jobs and keep small business employees and their families healthy, “ said Sam Blair, Network Director for the Main Street Alliance, a national network of state-based small business coalitions. “Clean air is a Main Street value and always has been.  And now we know that clean air – and the Clean Air Act, specifically – is also a big benefit for Main Street companies and their employees.”