Forced by a federal court to act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week set a new standard that reduces by ten-fold the amount of lead allowable in air pollution.
Based on a lawsuit in 2004, a federal court found that the EPA had failed to review the lead standard every five years, as required by law. Studies indicate that lead poisoning can effect the develpment and IQs of children.
The court ordered that the EPA issue a new standard by midnight Wednesday. This is the first update to the lead standard since 1978, when leaded gasoline was phased out.
Levels of lead pollutants in the air have significantly decreased since that time, but the new standard will require smelters, metal mines, waste incinerators, battery recyclers and hundreds of other pollution sources to significantly reduce emissions.
Environmentalists were pleased with the strict new regulations, but noted that the EPA only has half as many monitoring stations as it used to have.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. and chair of the Senate environment committee, shared that view. "I have concerns about the EPA’s monitoring plan and its failure to fully protect communities near dangerous sources," she said in a statement. "I will work to ensure that the standards as well as the monitoring program protect children from toxic lead pollution."
Read the Associated Press report.
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