State Environmental Management in West Germany: Air Pollution Control in North Rhine-Westphalia

William R. Mangun


DOI: 10.2190/HNM6-2B9R-VA6E-0W95

Abstract

North Rhine Westphalia was one of the first states of West Germany to adopt vigorous air pollution control legislation and implementation strategies. Its air pollution control research laboratories have long been among the best in the world. The strategies for air quality maintenance are a combination of state and local planning, building inspection regulations, and technical measures for emission reduction. Through such strategies North Rhine-Westphalia has achieved a significant reduction in sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and nitrogen oxide pollutants. This article reviews the organizational structure for environmental management in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and some of the strategies which it has adopted to control air pollution.

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