Which act provided the federal government authority to address interstate air pollution problems?

The Clean Air Act is the legislation that grants the federal government the authority to address interstate air pollution problems. Originally passed in 1963 and amended several times, the Act established a comprehensive federal framework for regulating air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. One of its key components is the establishment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), which set health-based standards for common air pollutants.

The Clean Air Act empowers the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enforce these standards and take necessary actions to ensure that states comply with federal regulations, especially in cases where air pollution crosses state lines. This authority is vital in addressing regional air quality issues that cannot be effectively managed by individual states alone, promoting a collective responsibility towards cleaner air across state boundaries.

Other acts like the Environmental Protection Act and Pollution Control Act do not specifically focus on air quality and do not provide the specific framework for tackling interstate air pollution. The Air Quality Act, while related, predates the Clean Air Act and was incorporated into the broader regulatory framework established by the Clean Air Act. Thus, the Clean Air Act is the most relevant and specific legislation for addressing these interstate challenges.