Air pollution continues to be a significant problem in the City of Birmingham, as it has been for decades. No one likes walking the streets of Birmingham just to taste or smell the smoke and particles in the air, not to mention the harmful effects on their health. Fortunately, improvements have been made; Forty years ago, Birmingham residents couldn't even see the skyline due to the huge amount of particulate matter in the air, but now the skyline is visible on a daily basis. The notable improvement indicates the progress made over the years, but there is still much room for necessary improvements. Birmingham's air quality is among the worst in the United States, but there are several feasible and relatively simple solutions that would have a positive impact on air quality while negating the harmful effects on human and environmental health: recycling, proper tire disposal used, and closely monitor waste disposal from factories. In the United States before 1970, there were no pollution laws that led to toxic levels of air quality. Instead, the Environmental Protection Agency passed a new law, the Clean Air Act, which led federal district judge Sam Pointer to order an emergency shutdown of 23 smokestack companies in Birmingham until the safety period passed. emergency (Spencer). The Clean Air Act was passed with the intention of creating cleaner, pristine air across the country, but Birmingham's air was nowhere near as clear and pristine. Over the last 40 years, adjustments have been made to factories and plants, and this has not gone unnoticed. As Spencer writes, “The EPA has proposed that Birmingham be certified as having achieved the level of ...... half the paper ...... no use in creating a product like gummy asphalt that lasts longer than 'asphalt itself. It works Quoted Spencer, Thomas. "An old cloud of polluted air rises from Birmingham's shoulders | Al.com." Alabama-Al.com blog and blogger. Network. November 23, 2011.Kallman, Matt. "August 2008 Monthly Update: Causes, Consequences and Solutions of Air Pollution |" Coal-fired power plants. " Black Warrior Riverkeeper. Web. November 23, 2011. "Downtown B'ham Recycling Center." Web. December 23, 2011. Lioy, Paul J., and Panos G. Georgopoulos "New Jersey: A Case Study in Reducing Waste urban and suburban air pollution from the 1950s to 2010." Environmental Health Perspectives 119. 10 (2011): 1351-1355 Academic Search Web, December 8, 2011. "Tire Problems." Family Education Network, Resource for Parents, Teachers and children. PearsonSchool.com-Family Education Network. November 23 2011.