Final answer:
The Clean Air Act, amended in 1990, has improved air quality and public health with benefits worth around $110 billion but faces criticism for imposing heavy economic burdens on industry, with some regulations' costs potentially outweighing their benefits.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Clean Air Act is a comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. Authorized by the United States Congress in 1970, and later amended in 1990, the act established a range of programs to tackle air pollution. Under this act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is empowered to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards to protect public health and the environment against pollutants considered harmful.
One significant benefit of the Clean Air Act is that it has substantially reduced air pollution levels, which in turn has led to improvements in public health, such as decreases in diseases associated with air pollution and a decline in premature deaths. For instance, the EPA estimated that in 2010 the benefits of Clean Air Act programs would total about $110 billion by avoiding increases in illness and premature death.
Despite its success, the Clean Air Act has attracted some criticism for the economic burdens it places on industry. Critics argue that the costs of implementation for some regulations may be comparable to or exceed the benefits, especially for certain air pollutants. It suggests that while air quality improvements for particulates and lead have clear benefits that outweigh the costs, this is not always the case for other pollutants.