William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review
Abstract
This article discusses how the United States environmental quality standards are created, implemented, and enforced. Part I focuses on water quality standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA), while Part II discusses air quality standards beginning with an overview of the Clean Air Act (CAA). Under the CWA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgates national standards and states are required to establish and monitor acceptable levels of pollutants in their waters; under the CAA, the EPA sets acceptable levels of air pollutants and states must implement plans to meet them. The authors outline the different components of various standards and metrics for monitoring air and water quality at both federal and state levels, then discuss the ways they are enforced.