Which federal agency is responsible for air quality laws?

• A. Environmental Protection Agency
• B. Food and Drug Administration
• C. Department of Energy
• D. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Answer: (A)

The Environmental Protection Agency is the federal body that creates and enforces air quality laws. Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA sets nationwide air quality standards (National Ambient Air Quality Standards) for pollutants that affect health and the environment, regulates emissions from major sources like power plants and factories, and oversees programs to reduce vehicle and industrial emissions. States carry out these rules locally, but the EPA supplies the standards and enforcement framework that make air quality laws national.

Other agencies focus on different areas: the FDA handles food, drugs, and cosmetics; the Department of Energy concentrates on energy policy and efficiency; the NOAA conducts weather, climate, and ocean research without the primary authority to set nationwide air quality regulations.