Air & Climate Laws & Rules

Defines U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) roles and responsibilities in protecting and improving the nation's air quality and the stratospheric ozone layer. The last major amendments to the law were enacted by Congress in 1990.

Defines MassDEP roles and responsibilities in preventing and controlling atmospheric pollution, including developing and enforcing regulations.

Requires the state's environmental agencies to set economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals for Massachusetts, including annually declining sector-specific emissions caps, and to establish both regulations for achieving targets and benchmarks for measuring progress.

Standards that MassDEP has determined are necessary to protect public health and welfare from the adverse effects of specific air pollutants.

These regulations establish emission limits for criteria pollutants, air toxics, and greenhouse gases, as well as pollution control standards and permit/reporting requirements for a range of facilities and activities.

The criteria by which MassDEP declares, manages, and terminates declarations of air pollution episodes, incidents, and emergencies.

Regulations governing the Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Program, and transportation plans, programs and projects as they relate to air quality.

Cross-program compliance certification requirements for boilers, dry cleaners, engines/turbines, printers, and other businesses or activities that emit pollutants to the air.

Documents interpreting MassDEP regulations and how to comply with them. Includes air toxics guidelines, asbestos abatement practices, facility- and technology-specific requirements, local response to nuisance conditions, and more.