U.S. Tightens Airborne Lead Rules

The maximum allowable amount of lead in U.S. air will drop by a factor of 10, settling a lawsuit brought to protect children’s health. The Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will tighten its lead standard from 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter of air to 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter — the first such reduction in 30 years. Lead, a neurotoxin, is especially damaging to children’s developing brains, causing both cognitive and behavioral problems. The agency’s staff and Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee recommended the 0.15 microgram level, but an EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee had pushed for a much tougher .02 microgram limit. Since the U.S. banned lead paint in 1978 and leaded gasoline in the 1980s, the largest remaining source of new lead pollution is smelters. EPA says 16,000 sources emit 1,300 tons of lead annually. Environmental groups praised the stricter limit but questioned the agency’s ability to police it; EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said he will step up lead monitoring nationwide.