http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/01/AR2008050103176.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Lead, which is emitted by smelters, mining, aviation fuel and waste incinerators, can enter the bloodstream and affect young children's development and IQ, as well as cause cardiovascular, blood pressure and kidney problems in adults. The United States has not changed its atmospheric lead standards in 30 years, but the Bush administration is under a court order to issue new rules by September.
U.S. emissions of lead have dropped from 74,000 tons a year three decades ago to 1,300 tons a year now, largely because leaded gasoline was taken off the market. Since 1990, however, more than 6,000 studies have examined the impact of lead on public health and the environment and have revealed that it has harmful effects at lower concentrations than previously thought.
In a conference call with reporters yesterday, EPA Deputy Administrator Marcus C. Peacock announced that the agency is proposing to cut the current standard of 1.5 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air to a range of between 0.10 and 0.30 micrograms per cubic meter.
.....
"According to EPA projections, emissions of 60 pounds of lead from a single pollution source could cause a median loss of up to three IQ points in children," Kar said. "Thousands of children across the United States live near lead plants emitting more than 60 pounds of lead every year. In fact, some plants emit tons of lead annually."
...
The EPA estimates that the proposed rule would apply to 16,000 sources of lead nationwide and, depending on what standard is eventually adopted, between 12 and 23 U.S. counties would fail to meet the stricter standards.
Jeffrey R. Holmstead, who directed the EPA's office of air and radiation from 2001 to 2005 and now heads the environmental strategies group at the law firm Bracewell & Giuliani, said the 60-day comment period on the rule that will start once it is published in the Federal Register "will be even more important than usual."
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From: "mathew Bennett" <matsuwesty@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 4:57 PM
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Subject: Vanagons as electric vehicles and other stuff....
> Electric vehicles, why don't we see them?
> I haven't posted to the Vanagon list for several years. I read them and sometimes p-mail individuals with help on certain subjects. This issue of safe vehicles, electric vehicles, oil dependence, etc., it really burns me that the auto makers and the oil industry are so slow to recognize what is going on. They are cashing in while the getting is good and we will be left holding the bag when oil prices are $5 a gallon by next winter (or sooner). There are several folks on this list that have converted their vans to electric power, neat idea, but a box powered by an electric motor isn't ideal. Good aerodynamics are needed to obtain an efficient package. There was a movie made called, "Who killed the electric car?" that was VERY revealing. It is available on Netflix and probably on Blockbuster. This was about a SUCCESSFUL electric car that GM made back in the 90's (?), where everyone that owned one really liked them. There was a waiting list for them! They weren't actually sold to people, GM leased them to the owners. After someone in the government (big oil?) put some pressure on GM, GM took all of the cars back from owners. Some of the owners tried to keep them, but GM wouldn't let them.
> It's a sad reflection of turning a quick buck and the big corporations controlling the daily lives of us lowly citizens. The more I read and see on TV about all of the stupid things that the United States government has done (poor handling of Iraq from the onset, limiting resources for alternative fuels/energy, outsourcing basic supplies/industries to other countries that ends up hurting the economy of the U.S. and INCREASING costs for those supplies/industries in the end, etc). Sorry, I'm ranting and I don't usually do that. I'm just disgusted with the direction our current government/economy is heading.
> Back to your normally scheduled Vanagon info.................
>
> Matt
> '87 Subie powered Westy
>
> Matsuwesty Adventures website: http://home.earthlink.net/~matsuwesty
> FAVOR website: http://home.earthlink.net/~clubvanagon
> Yahoo FAVOR website: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/vanagon_club
>
