This morning Reg•Watch blogged about EPA's revision to the national air quality standard for lead. The new regulation is significantly better than the current standard which had not been revised since 1978. But another part of the new regulation raised Reg•Watch's suspicion. Currently, the network EPA uses to monitor concentrations of airborne lead has some serious problems. According to Felicity Barringer at The New York Times, "Currently, 133 monitors are in operation nationwide, down from about 800 in 1980, an E.P.A. spokeswoman, Cathy Milbourn, said."

On Tuesday, President Bush issued one of his infamous signing statements for a bill that will improve the independence of inspector general (IG) offices within the federal government. Since IG offices monitor efficiency, waste, and fraud in the government, but are also housed within the federal government, Congress saw fit to enact new measures to insulate IG offices from political pressures. (More on the bill here.)

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a new report describing how the Food and Drug Administration handles conflicts of interest on its advisory panels. Financial conflicts plague a significant number of FDA advisors and FDA panels, according to the report.

EPA is finalizing a potentially major revision to the national air quality standard for lead, and industry has come a knockin'. On Oct. 2, several officials from the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) — the arm of the White House in charge of reviewing and editing new rules — met with several lobbyists from the battery recycling industry. That industry would eventually face new compliance requirements if EPA adopts a strict new standard.