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The article highlights the impact of the changes to Environmental Protection Agency's (EPAs) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for lead in the U.S. It states that proximity of the sampler to source emissions and populations, meteorological conditions and background conditions must be considered to assess the potential risks of airborne lead. It notes that the changes in federal regulations will require majority of facilities to reassess their monitoring programs to ensure compliance.

The article reports on the proposal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lower standards for particulate matter (PM). The proposed modifications will substantially tighten short-term exposure to high levels of fine PM by almost 50%. Inhalable PM 24-hour standard is also being proposed for reduction to 70 micrograms per cubic meter. Research has demonstrated a link between PM and various cardiovascular and respiratory problems. The Clean Air Act mandates the EPA to undertake a periodic review of air quality standards. Particle standards were last updated in 1997.

The staff of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made recommendations for the agency management to revise the current particulate matter standards for fine particles and the inhalable portion of coarse particles, based on evidence that suggests to EPA scientists that more protection is needed than is provided under current air standards. The air quality standards for PM under the Clean Air Act were first established in 1971. The agency significantly changed the standards in 1987, when they changed the indicator of the standards to regulate inhalable particles smaller than, or equal to, 10 micrometers in diameter. In 1997, EPA again revised the PM standards and established a separate standard for fine particles. EPA released its second draft staff paper on the assessment of PM standards in January 2005 which recommends changing EPA's health-based standards for coarse particles to avoid double-regulating fine particles.

The article reports on the proposed revisions made by the EPA (Environmental Protection Authority) to the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for lead. The proposal seeks to improve the existing lead monitoring network which requires monitors to be located near large sources of lead emissions an in urban areas with more than one million people. The proposal may serve as a precursor of other things to come with regard to EPA's treatment of non-threshold criteria pollutants as lead is an important criteria air pollutant.

Introduces the new Maximum Achievable Control Technologies (MACT) rules to complete the the MACT standard rulemaking process by the Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. Impact of the new rules on certain industries; Completion of the series of technology-based national emissions standards under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments; Directives and scope of the new MACT rules.