1. AIR POLLUTION:
Judge orders EPA to propose new soot standards
A federal judge today ordered U.S. EPA to sign by the end of next week proposed revised air standards for soot from power plants, motor vehicles and various industrial sources. At issue are air quality standards for fine particles that EPA was required to update after 2006 standards were tossed by a federal court in 2009 for failing to protect human health. EPA was supposed to finalize the update by October 2011 but failed to do so.