The Clean Air Act

The Clean Air Act was designed to curb air pollutants and address new dangers as they are identified by modern science. Some critics claim that EPA needs direction from Congress before responding to new pollution threats, like the gases that contribute to global warming. But as the Supreme Court affirmed in Massachusetts v. EPA, Congress directed EPA to act on the science without waiting for legislators to pass new laws. By acting on global warming pollutants, the EPA is following the law and the science just as Congress intended.