Air pollution from vehicles has been a significant problem in the US for quite a long time. Although the US has made significant strides in terms of inventions and technological advancement to combat this kind of pollution, it is not yet there.
The government has not been left behind in this as it has set several regulations to control air pollution from not only from vehicles but also other sources. In this article, we will discuss the Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act aimed at controlling air pollution from vehicles.
The motor vehicle air pollution control act is an establishment with set minimum standards that control the emission of air pollutants from motor vehicles, particularly those powered by gasoline. The act was built from an amendment that was done on the US Clean Air Act of 1963. It was first implemented on the 1968 vehicle models when it first set federal standards to control air pollution.
These standards were set to ensure that the air was cleaner through reduced emissions from gasoline-powered vehicles.
The 1963 standards were to reduce emission as follows:
• Crankcase hydrocarbons- 100%
• Hydrocarbons-72%
• Carbon monoxide-56%
The motor vehicle air act did not apply to all regions until 1970, when it became multistate. Each state had to review its legislation to ensure that it offered coverage in its regulations, the standards set in this act. To set the regulations, each state had to engage the public and gather their ideas.
The version of the act currently in place is a result of the amendments done severally over the years. In most amendments, more standards were added and the existing ones made stricter in a bid to curb air pollution by motor vehicles even more.
The act was crucial, considering that motor vehicles are a significant air pollutant in the US. In this regard, motor vehicles had a variety of emissions to air, not to mention that most of the compounds were toxic and capable of affecting the quality of air to a large extent.
Before the act, there were no strict measures on the production and assembly of vehicle parts and gasoline production pertaining to air pollution. On the introduction of this act, restrictions on engine and fuel production were set.
Concerning manufacturers, the act required them to produce vehicles with cleaner engines such that they would burn the fuels in a less polluting manner. Also, the car manufacturers had to ensure that the production processes did not produce air pollutants to a particular extent.
Most of the regulations were set for fuel refiners. Considering that most of the pollutants from motor vehicles come from the fuel components, it makes sense for the strict restrictions in this area.
The first regulation was to reduce the level of sulfur in fuels by 90% and hence reduce the pollution it causes in the air. Also, since many trucks and buses in the US use diesel as fuel, there were standards set to cut its emission and to reduce the use of sulfur diesel fuel.
The act also suggested the importance of alternative oils such as electricity, methanol, and propane to reduce air pollution.
The US government has been at the frontline in advocating for cleaner air through reduced pollution from notorious sources such as motor vehicles. Acts such as the Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act has been set in place for the good of all people and not to make the life of some people like fuel refiners difficult.
Perhaps if some of these acts were not implemented at an early stage, the air may have been polluted to the point that the polluted regions would be inhabitable. Let’s continue observing all the regulating standards in such acts to ensure that the air we inhale is clean and of good quality.
