American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Practice Exam

What do air quality standards aimed at preventing the significant deterioration of air quality enforce?

1. Mitigation measures.

2. CCAA Regulations.

3. Air Resource Board rulings.

4. PSD Standards.

The correct answer is: PSD Standards.

Air quality standards that aim to prevent the significant deterioration of air quality are primarily defined by Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) standards. These standards are a key component of the Clean Air Act, established to protect the air quality in areas that are already in compliance with national air quality standards. PSD regulations set limits on the amount of certain pollutants that can be introduced into the environment, thereby ensuring that air quality remains at a desired level of cleanliness and preventing significant changes that might impair it. The PSD standards are designed to ensure that new industrial developments and other activities that may emit air pollutants do not degrade the overall air quality of an area, especially one that has better air quality than required by federal and state standards. This means that any new source of pollution must demonstrate that it will not cause a net increase in emissions of certain pollutants, taking into account existing air quality and planned economic growth. In contrast, the other options such as mitigation measures, CCAA regulations (California Clean Air Act), and rulings from air resource boards, while they may relate to air quality management, do not specifically pertain to the overarching framework established for preventing the deterioration of air quality in the way that PSD standards do. Thus, the correct identification of PSD standards reflects