EPA: Significant Changes Proposed for Lead Emissions, Monitoring
News release: "EPA proposed a significant reduction in the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for lead emissions May 1. The Agency proposes to move the standard from the 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter of air it has been since 1978 to a range of 0.10 to 0.30 micrograms per cubic meter. EPA also proposes to revise various elements of the standard to provide increased protection for children and other at-risk populations against an array of adverse health effects, most notably, effects on the developing nervous system."
Proposed Revisions to Lead National Air Quality Standards - May 1, 2008 - The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead. The proposed revisions would significantly strengthen the lead standards. EPA will accept comments for 60 days after the publication of the proposal in the Federal Register.
Proposed Rule (PDF, 451 pages)
Fact sheet (PDF, 7 pages)
Presentation - Text Slides (5/1/08) (PDF, 19 pages)

EPA OIG Reports: Financial Statements, Tracking Compliance with Superfund Cleanup Requirements
08-2-0142 Agreed-Upon Procedures on EPA's Fiscal Year 2008 First Quarter Financial Statements [Report PDF - 21pp] [At a Glance PDF] April 28, 2008
08-P-0141 EPA Needs to Track Compliance with Superfund Cleanup Requirements [Report PDF - 26pp] [At a Glance PDF] April 28, 2008: "According to EPA’s Superfund information system, there were 3,397 active Superfund enforcement instruments to ensure cleanups at National Priorities List sites as of September 30, 2007. Yet, EPA does not nationally compile or track data on substantial non-compliance (SNC) with the terms or requirements of these instruments."

Nearly Ten Percent Admit to Driving Drunk within the Past Month (PDF; 109 KB)Source: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
American motorists blame other motorists for unsafe driving, despite the fact many admit to doing the same dangerous practices themselves, according to a new report out today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. For example, Americans rated drinking drivers as the most serious traffic safety issue, yet in the previous month alone, almost 10 percent of motorists admitted to driving when they thought their blood alcohol content was above the legal limit.Traffic crashes are the leading killer of people from the ages of 2 to 34, with the overall death toll on U.S. roadways consistently exceeding 40,000 every single year since the early 1960s with the sole exception of 1992. With this in mind, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety launched its first-annual survey of the driving public on a wide variety of issues. Following are some highlights from the report, 2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index:
82 percent of motorists rated distracted driving as a serious problem, yet over half of those same individuals admitted to talking on the cell phone while driving in the past month, and 14 percent even admitted to reading or sending text messages while driving.
Over seven out of ten motorists rated red light running as a serious problem, yet over half of those same individuals admitted to speeding up to get through yellow lights, and 5 percent even admitted to having run a red light on purpose in the past month.
Nearly three out of every four motorists rated speeding as a serious problem, yet 40 percent of those same individuals admitted to driving 15 mph or more over speed limit on the highway in the past month, and 14 percent even admitted to having driven 15 mph or more over the limit on a neighborhood street.
+ Full Report (PDF; 969 KB) + Fact Sheet (PDF; 155 KB) + Slide Show Permalink

American Lung Association Issues State of the Air ReportThe American Lung Association issued its annual report card on air pollution today, ranking cities most affected by three types of pollution: short-term particle pollution, year-round particle pollution and ozone pollution. Pittsburgh moved to the top of the list of cities most polluted by short-term levels of particle pollution, a deadly cocktail of ash, soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols that can spike dangerously for hours to weeks on end. The body’s natural defenses, coughing and sneezing, fail to keep these microscopic particles from burrowing deep within the lungs, triggering serious problems such as breathing, asthma and heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and even early death. Pittsburgh also ranks second on the list of cities with the most year-round particle pollution while Los Angeles again claims the first spot this year.
Los Angeles, despite being ranked atop two of the three most-polluted lists, saw continued improvements in air quality, dropping its year-round particle pollution levels by nearly one-third during the last decade, and saw solid improvement in levels of ozone or “smog,” a gas formed most often when sunlight reacts with vapors emitted when motor vehicles, factories, power plants and other sources burn fuel.
+ Full Report (Free registration required.)+ What’s the State of Your Air? (Individual state reports via interactive map or dropdown menu) Permalink

Both federal and state taxes are added to your gasoline purchase. http://www.gaspricewatch.com/usgastaxes.asp
Find your state at link above—note that diesel taxes are usually higher than gas.

Presidential Transition Guide to Federal Human Resources Management MattersSource: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (Senior Executive Service)Covers: Standards of Ethical Conduct, Positions and Individuals Subject to Change in a Transition, Appointments and Compensation.
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Sports Illustrated has opened up their entire back catalogue, or "vault," for free; more than 50 years of covers, articles, photos, and videos. The articles are available as searchable html or bundled up by the issue
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

May 2 birthdays
It's the birthday of Dr. Benjamin Spock, (books by this author) born in New Haven, Connecticut (1903). His Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care (1946) was a best seller during the period after World War II, when parents across America were raising the Baby Boom generation. Spock opened his first pediatric practice in 1933. Dr. Spock encouraged parents to be affectionate, and he also encouraged them to follow their own instincts. The first sentence of his book was, "You know more than you think you do."

It's the birthday of songwriter Lorenz Hart, born in Harlem, New York (1895), who wrote the lyrics to "My Funny Valentine," which appeared in 1937 and “Blue Moon” which appeared in 1934.

It's the birthday of humorist Jerome K. Jerome, (books by this author) born in Walsall, England (1859), who said, "It is always the best policy to speak the truth, unless of course you are an exceptionally good liar." And, "It is so pleasant to come across people more stupid than ourselves. We love them at once for being so."
The Writer’s Almanac