Question

president george h. w. bushs amendments to the clean air act:

a. brought environmental issues to the attention of the entire nation.
b. held companies responsible for oil spills that they created.
c. created a new governmental agency responsible for responding to environmental problems.
d. encouraged companies to work together to curb industrial air pollution.

Explanation:

Analyze the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990

The 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act, signed by President George H.W. Bush, designed a market-based cap-and-trade system to encourage businesses and utilities to work together and find cost-effective ways to reduce industrial air pollution, particularly sulfur dioxide (acid rain) and nitrogen oxides.

Evaluate the options

• Option A is incorrect because national environmental awareness was already highly established by the original 1970 Clean Air Act and the creation of the EPA.
• Option B refers to policies like the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, not the Clean Air Act.
• Option C is incorrect because no new major agency was created by these amendments (the EPA already existed).
• Option D is correct because the amendments introduced market-based incentives (cap-and-trade) to encourage industrial cooperation and compliance in reducing emissions.

Answer:

• A. brought environmental issues to the attention of the entire nation.
• B. held companies responsible for oil spills that they created.
• C. created a new governmental agency responsible for responding to environmental problems.
• D. encouraged companies to work together to curb industrial air pollution. (Correct answer)