North America. In the USA the smog problem experienced in Los Angeles and
other major cities led to the enactment of the first federal air pollution legislation
in 1955, which provided federal support for air pollution research, training and
technical assistance. In 1970 the US Clean Air Act was passed and, whereas the
UK Clear Air Act of 1956 tackled smoke pollution, the US Act dealt, in addition,
with pollutants such as ozone that contribute to photochemical smog. As these
were more difficult to control, the non-attainment of set standards was so
widespread that the Act was perceived as a failure. However, this situation was
improved by the extensive amendments that resulted in the Clean Air Act 1990.
Areas of non-attainment required car-pooling, clean fuel and auto inspection and
maintenance programmes. The need for the introduction of new types of
environmental policy became apparent and has resulted in the development of
market based policies, such as tradable emission permits and agricultural subsidy
reform. Voluntary policies and private sector initiatives, often in combination
with civil society, are also increasingly used for pollution reduction. Furthermore,
the value of participation of different stakeholders in the development of
environmental policy instruments, such as the public, NGOs, industry etc., is now
being realized. In 1980 the Acid Precipitation Act first authorized a cooperative
federal program, the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP),
to coordinate acid rain research and report the findings to Congress. The
research, monitoring, and assessment efforts by NAPAP and others in the 1980s
culminated in Title IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, also known as the
Acid Deposition Control Program.
In 1969, the federal government of Canada introduced the Canadian Clean Air
Act to address and monitor the problem of air pollution. At the present time the
emphasis is on regulatory reform, federal /provincial policy harmonization and
voluntary initiatives. In order to study regional patterns of air pollution The
Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CAPMoN) was set up.
In 1991, after initial failures in the 1980s, bilateral negotiations between
Canada and the US resulted in the Air Quality Agreement to address
transboundary air pollution. Acid rain was the initial focus of co-operative
transboundary efforts under the Air Quality Agreement, but, after significant
progress, Canadian and US environmental ministers signed a Joint Plan of
Action in 1997 for Addressing Transboundary Air Pollution on ground-level
ozone and particulate matter. In December 2000 co-operation between the two
countries resulted in the signing of an ozone annex to the Air Quality Agreement,
addressing their common concerns about ground-level ozone’s transboundary
impacts. Concurrently, both governments are undertaking co-operative efforts in
particulate matter modelling, monitoring, and data analyses to assess transboundary
PM impacts and support development of a joint action plan to address the issue.
R. W. Boubel, D. L. Fox, D. B. Turner and A. C. Stern, Fundamentals of Air Pollution, Third
Edition, Academic Press, 1994.
J. Schmandt and R. Hilliard, eds., Acid Rain and Friendly Neighbors: The Policy Dispute between
Canada and the United States, Duke University Press, Durham, 1985.
Air Quality Agreement between Canada and the US — Progress Report 2000. International Joint
Commission, Ottawa and Washington.
J. C. I. Kuylenstierna, W. K. Hicks and M. J. Chadwick
48
other major cities led to the enactment of the first federal air pollution legislation
in 1955, which provided federal support for air pollution research, training and
technical assistance. In 1970 the US Clean Air Act was passed and, whereas the
UK Clear Air Act of 1956 tackled smoke pollution, the US Act dealt, in addition,
with pollutants such as ozone that contribute to photochemical smog. As these
were more difficult to control, the non-attainment of set standards was so
widespread that the Act was perceived as a failure. However, this situation was
improved by the extensive amendments that resulted in the Clean Air Act 1990.
Areas of non-attainment required car-pooling, clean fuel and auto inspection and
maintenance programmes. The need for the introduction of new types of
environmental policy became apparent and has resulted in the development of
market based policies, such as tradable emission permits and agricultural subsidy
reform. Voluntary policies and private sector initiatives, often in combination
with civil society, are also increasingly used for pollution reduction. Furthermore,
the value of participation of different stakeholders in the development of
environmental policy instruments, such as the public, NGOs, industry etc., is now
being realized. In 1980 the Acid Precipitation Act first authorized a cooperative
federal program, the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP),
to coordinate acid rain research and report the findings to Congress. The
research, monitoring, and assessment efforts by NAPAP and others in the 1980s
culminated in Title IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, also known as the
Acid Deposition Control Program.
In 1969, the federal government of Canada introduced the Canadian Clean Air
Act to address and monitor the problem of air pollution. At the present time the
emphasis is on regulatory reform, federal /provincial policy harmonization and
voluntary initiatives. In order to study regional patterns of air pollution The
Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CAPMoN) was set up.
In 1991, after initial failures in the 1980s, bilateral negotiations between
Canada and the US resulted in the Air Quality Agreement to address
transboundary air pollution. Acid rain was the initial focus of co-operative
transboundary efforts under the Air Quality Agreement, but, after significant
progress, Canadian and US environmental ministers signed a Joint Plan of
Action in 1997 for Addressing Transboundary Air Pollution on ground-level
ozone and particulate matter. In December 2000 co-operation between the two
countries resulted in the signing of an ozone annex to the Air Quality Agreement,
addressing their common concerns about ground-level ozone’s transboundary
impacts. Concurrently, both governments are undertaking co-operative efforts in
particulate matter modelling, monitoring, and data analyses to assess transboundary
PM impacts and support development of a joint action plan to address the issue.
R. W. Boubel, D. L. Fox, D. B. Turner and A. C. Stern, Fundamentals of Air Pollution, Third
Edition, Academic Press, 1994.
J. Schmandt and R. Hilliard, eds., Acid Rain and Friendly Neighbors: The Policy Dispute between
Canada and the United States, Duke University Press, Durham, 1985.
Air Quality Agreement between Canada and the US — Progress Report 2000. International Joint
Commission, Ottawa and Washington.
J. C. I. Kuylenstierna, W. K. Hicks and M. J. Chadwick
48