Deck 10: Defining Air Quality: the Standard-Setting Process

Question 1

One of the hallmarks of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments is its integration of market-based policy instruments, such as the use of tradeable allowances to control emissions.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), which was part of the 2004 Clean Air Rules, was considered to be the most important environmental initiative enacted by the Bush Administration.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

According to the textbook application, air quality standards in the United Kingdom are identical to those in the United States.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Among the criteria pollutants identified in the United States is carbon dioxide.

Question 5

Contaminants such as pollen and salt spray are known as anthropogenic pollutants.

Question 6

Air Quality Control Regions (AQCRs) are those geographic areas in the United States identified as having met all air quality standards.

Question 7

Over 180 hazardous air pollutants are controlled by the Clean Air Act.

Question 8

Air quality in the United States is monitored either by estimating emissions levels or by measuring pollutant concentrations.

Question 9

Prior to the 1950s, all air quality laws in the United States had been enacted at the state and local levels of government.

Question 10

According to the textbook application, the automobile industry and the state of California worked together to solve the state's urban smog problem.

Question 11

Environmental justice is an equity criterion that has increased in importance over time in U.S. policy decisions.

Question 12

In the United States, seven criteria pollutants have been identified through criteria documents.

Question 13

The first federal air pollution legislation was the Clean Air Act of 1963.

Question 14

A State Implementation Plan (SIP) outlines procedures for a state to implement, monitor, and enforce the NAAQS but not the NESHAP.

Question 15

Under the Clean Air Act, the major groups of air pollutants being controlled are natural pollutants, hazardous air pollutants, and greenhouse gases.

Question 16

Primary NAAQS are intended to protect public welfare.

Question 17

Stationary sources are those arising at a fixed site, such as power plants or factories.

Question 18

Title IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments uses tradeable allowances to control sulfur dioxide emissions.

Question 19

In the United States, the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) are set to reach the maximum reduction of each toxic achievable, which is known as the maximum achievable control technology (MACT).

Question 20

In the United States, the set of standards for criteria pollutants are called the NESHAP.

Question 21

In the United States, the primary standards established for identified criteria pollutants

A) are known as the NESHAP
B) are applicable only to mobile sources
C) are intended to protect public welfare
D) are motivated solely by expected benefits with no consideration for economic feasibility

Question 22

All of the following are examples of anthropogenic pollutants EXCEPT

A) lead
B) carbon monoxide
C) pollen
D) sulfur dioxide

Question 23

Geographic areas in which pollution is greater than what is allowed by national ambient air quality standards are referred to as

A) mobile source areas
B) prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) areas
C) nonattainment areas
D) air quality control regions (AQCRs)

Question 24

According to the textbook application, California's urban smog problem

A) diminished because of the responsiveness of U.S. automobile manufacturers
B) was never addressed by state legislation
C) was linked through scientific study to auto emissions in the 1950s
D) all of the above

Question 25

Based on the textbook application, in the United Kingdom,

A) there are no official air quality standards
B) limit values are defined for some of the same pollutants covered by the U.S. NAAQS
C) standards for pollutant levels are set to be equivalent to those in the United States
D) none of the above

Question 26

The more stringent standards in PSD areas do not necessarily result in an efficient level of abatement in those regions.

Question 27

In the United States, the air quality standards used to control criteria pollutants

A) identify the maximum allowable concentrations of each pollutant
B) are set to achieve an efficient abatement level using benefit-cost analysis
C) are known as the NESHAP
D) are achieved by all AQCRs in the nation

Question 28

If an area or region meets or exceeds the NAAQS, it is called a(n)

A) air quality control region (AQCR)
B) prevention of significant deterioration area
C) nonattainment region
D) none of the above

Question 29

Natural pollutants

A) are those contaminants that are linked to human activity
B) include such contaminants as lead and carbon monoxide
C) are the same as anthropogenic pollutants
D) are those arising from nonartificial processes in nature

Question 30

Standards set to control air toxics in the United States

A) are known as the NAAQS
B) are the same as those set for greenhouse gases
C) are intended to attain the maximum reduction for each toxic achievable, known as MACT
D) are solely benefit-based

Question 31

Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?

A) Before the 1950s, all air quality laws in the United States had been enacted at the state and local levels of government
B) The first state-level law to control motor vehicle emissions was passed in Massachusetts
C) The Clear Skies Act was put forth under the administration of George W. Bush
D) The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 include some market-based policies

Question 32

States outline procedures to attain air quality standards within their jurisdictions through

A) offset plans for each AQCR
B) state implementation plans (SIPs)
C) criteria documents
D) PSD programs
E) none of the above

Question 33

Portney's research of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) finds that MSC exceeds MSB. Based on this finding, one can conclude that

A) the CAAA are allocatively efficient
B) TSC exceed TSB
C) these amendments are inefficient but cost-effective
D) the CAAA over-regulate society

Question 34

In the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments,

A) Title IV uses a strict command-and-control approach to regulate sulfur dioxide
B) market-based approaches are integrated in certain of the titled sections
C) market-based policies predominate over command-and-control initiatives
D) there were no provisions to control ozone depletion

Question 35

Based on the EPA's first and second prospective studies of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, the associated net benefits of this legislation are greater than zero.

Question 36

Recently proposed revisions to the NESHAP

A) have been enacted without debate
B) include one aimed at coal-fired and oil-fired power plants
C) will weaken national controls on toxics
D) none of the above

Question 37

An implication of Paul Portney's benefit-cost analysis of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments is that the United States is under-regulating air pollution.

Question 38

Because the NAAQS are nationally-based and uniform, they necessarily achieve an efficient result at the regional level.

Question 39

The NAAQS are established using benefit-cost analysis.

Question 40

The secondary NAAQS

A) are air quality emissions standards intended to protect public welfare
B) are technology-based standards
C) are established to protect public health
D) control both criteria and hazardous pollutants

Question 41

PSD areas

A) must meet the same standards as do nonattainment areas
B) face standards that are necessarily set at an efficient level
C) are regions that meet or exceed national ambient air quality standards
D) are likely associated with higher MSC than that of nonattainment areas

Question 42

According to the EPA's first prospective study of the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990,

A) these amendments do not pass the feasibility test
B) the estimated present value of benefits outweigh the present value of costs
C) the CAAA achieve allocative efficiency
D) the present value of net benefits associated with these amendments are negative

Question 43

In Portney's analysis of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA), his estimates suggest that

A) more resources should be allocated to air quality control
B) the associated MSB exceed the MSC
C) society would be better off with less regulation of air quality
D) the TSC outweigh the TSB

Question 44

Suppose that the MSB and MSC of abating sulfur dioxide are as follows. Use these functions to answer parts (a) and (b) below.
MSB = 32 - 0.2A MSC = 16 + 0.2A
a. Because the NAAQS are set using a benefit-based decision rule, find the abatement level of sulfur dioxide that would adhere to this rule.
b. If instead the NAAQS were legislated to achieve efficiency, find the efficeint abatement level (A_E) for sulfur dioxide.

Question 45

The NAAQS

A) are set using benefit-cost analysis
B) are established using a benefit-based decision rule
C) achieve efficient levels of abatement for the criteria pollutants
D) both (a) and (c) are correct

Question 46

According to the EPA's prospective analysis of the 1990 to 2010 period, total social benefits (TSB) associated with the CAAA of 1990 are estimated at $690 billion ($1990) and the comparable total social cost (TSC) estimates are $180 billion ($1990).
a. Explain why these data do not communicate whether the regulations outlined by the CAAA of 1990 are efficient.
b. Using three separate graphs of conventionally-shaped TSB and TSC functions show that these values indicate that the regulations outlined in the CAAA of 1990 are (i) efficient; (ii) too lenient; and (iii) too stringent.

Question 47

An important observation about the NAAQS is that

A) they are set at the regional level to recognize different demographics and traffic patterns
B) all regions must meet the same standard, making efficiency achievement highly unlikely
C) they are uniform across all regions including PSD areas
D) they have been amended to include GHG air pollutants

Question 48

The EPA's second prospective study of the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990,

A) expands the time frame of the first prospective study to the 1990 to 2020 period
B) finds that the estimated costs of the CAAA outweigh the estimated benefits
C) uses the same data and methods employed in the first study
D) generates estimates that indicate negative net benefits linked to the CAAA