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The lead NAAQS was last updated in 1978. As lead has long been the subject of considerable litigation, EPA is under a court order to issue a final lead standard by September 2008. What will the new proposed standard look like, and what does it mean for other pollutants?
On May 1, 2008, EPA proposed important revisions to the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for lead. As lead is an important criteria air pollutant and a multimedia pollutant, me proposal may serve as a harbinger of things to come with regard to EPA's treatment of non-threshold criteria pollutants.
Proposed revisions
EPA proposed to tighten the primary standard from the existing standard of 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/ m3) of air to a level widiin die range of 0.10 to 0.30 µg/ m3, measured as total suspended particulates (TSP). EPA requested comments...