Governments have explored a number of mechanisms for reducing the amount of pollutants released to the air by factories, power plants, and other stationary sources. One mechanism is to require that a new or modified installation releases no more pollutants than determined by some law or regulation determining the lowest level of pollutants that can be maintained by existing technological means. These limits are known as the Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER). The Clean Air Act of 1970 required, for example, that any new source in an area where minimum air pollution standards were not being met had to conform to the LAER standard.

See Also

Air Quality; Best Available Control Technology (Bat); Emission Standards