Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Department
History
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Clean air legislation was first passed in the United States by Congress in 1955 and has since been amended in 1963, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1977 and 1990. The Clean Air Act was created to ensure that Americans were not being unnecessarily exposed to harmful air pollutants. It is the legislation that allows for the regulation and control over air pollutants and the sources that release those air pollutants. This legislation is important to the maintenance and improvement of air quality in the United States. Without the Clean Air Act to regulate pollutant sources, the air could be toxic to vulnerable populations in the U.S., if not toxic for the U.S. as a whole, causing different cancers and health issues. Air legislation has been passed in the United States because of the public demand for Congress to protect public health. Had it not been for these social pressures Congress had no reason to take action with legislation. This legislation changed as American society was transforming with a new awareness and environmentalism.
Advisor(s) or Committee Chair
Dr. Patricia Minter
Disciplines
History
Recommended Citation
Kasten, Chelsea, "A Series of Un-breathable Events: The Clean Air Act and the Transformation of Environmentalism in American Society" (2011). Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects. Paper 306.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses/306