Page 90 - Fundamentals of Air Pollution 3E

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The Philosophy of Air

Pollution Control

I. STRATEGY AND TACTICS—THE AIR POLLUTION SYSTEM

Since primary pollutants may have the dual role of causing adverse
effects in their original unreacted form and of reacting chemically to form
secondary pollutants, air pollution control consists mainly of reducing the
emission of primary pollutants to the atmosphere. Air pollution control
has two major aspects—strategic and tactical. The former is the long-term
reduction of pollution levels at all scales of the problem from local to global.
This aspect is called strategic in that long-term strategies must be developed.
Goals can be set for air quality improvement 5, 10, or 15 yr ahead and
plans made to achieve these improvements. There can be a regional strategy
to effect planned reductions at the urban and local scales; a state or provin-
cial strategy to achieve reductions at the state, provincial, urban, and local
scales; and a national strategy to achieve them at national and lesser scales.
The continental and global scales require an international strategy for which
an effective instrumentality is being developed.
The other major aspect of air pollution reduction is the control of short-
term episodes on the urban scale. This aspect is called tactical because,
prior to an episode, a scenario of tactical maneuvers must be developed

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