Although air quality has improved substantially in the United States in the 40 years of EPA's Clean Air Act regulation, many issues remain unresolved, and, in recent months, members of Congress from both parties have raised questions regarding the cost-effectiveness of, and authority for, EPA actions. This report focuses on three general areas of likely interest to the 112th Congress: greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations, emissions from power plants (including interstate pollution and mercury emissions), and air quality standards.

This report summarizes the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and the major regulatory programs that mandate reporting by industrial facilities of releases of hazardous chemicals to the environment, as well as local planning to respond in the event of significant, accidental releases. The text is excerpted, with minor modifications, from the corresponding chapter of CRS Report RL30798, Environmental Laws: Summaries of Major Statutes Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, coordinated by David M. Bearden, which summarizes major environmental statutes.

As Congress considers legislation to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute to climate change, attention has focused on "cap-and-trade" legislation. Such legislation would set a national cap on GHG emissions, with allowances (permits) to emit limited amounts of the gases distributed or auctioned to affected parties. Recently, there has also been discussion of taxes on greenhouse-gas-emitting substances (generally referred to as a "carbon tax"), which proponents argue would provide greater transparency and a clearer price signal.

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA, P.L. 110-140), significantly expanded the renewable fuel standard (RFS) established in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005, P.L. 109-58). The RFS requires the use of 9.0 billion gallons of renewable fuel in 2008, increasing to 36 billion gallons in 2022. Further, EISA requires an increasing amount of the mandate be met with advanced biofuelsbiofuels produced from feedstocks other than corn starch and with 50% lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum fuels.

As Congress considers legislation to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute to climate change, attention has focused on cap-and-trade legislation. Such legislation would set a national cap on GHG emissions, with allowances (permits) to emit limited amounts of the gases distributed or auctioned to affected parties. Recently, there has also been discussion of taxes on greenhouse-gas-emitting substances (generally referred to as a carbon tax), which proponents argue would provide greater transparency and a clearer price signal.