Acid Precipitation

While acid precipitation has been the subject of debate within the scientific community for over a decade, recent events, such as President Reagan's endorsement of a $5 billion "clean-coal" technology research program, passage of emissions reduction legislation by the House Subcommittee on Health and the Environment, and the release of major reports such as the National Research Council's "Acid Deposition: Long-Term Trends," have propelled the issue into a national public spotlight. This paper examines the current status of scientific research on acid precipitation in the U.S. and the effects on water quality.