CLEAR Act

Key Points

• The bill doubles the time between EPA reviews of air quality standards from every 5 years to every 10 years. This means pollutant limits could stay in place much longer before being updated with the latest health research.
• When setting air quality limits, the EPA could now factor in whether reaching those limits is actually achievable, not just what science says is safest. This introduces economic and practical considerations into what has traditionally been a health-only decision.
• States would be shielded from federal penalties and fines if they can show they missed air quality goals because of pollution drifting in from other areas, exceptional events like wildfires, or mobile source emissions they cannot control.
• Smoke from prescribed burns and other wildfire prevention measures would be treated similarly to natural events, so states would not have that pollution counted against their air quality record. This could encourage more controlled burns to reduce wildfire risk.
• The scientific advisory committee that helps the EPA set air quality standards would grow to include three state agency representatives from geographically diverse regions, up from just one. The committee would also be required to weigh economic, social, and energy impacts of proposed standards.