A federal judge in St. Louis has ruled the US Environmental Protection Agency has blatantly disregarded Congress’ mandate to control the amount of lead pollution in the air, a ruling that could affect the Doe Run lead smelter in Herculaneum. Judge Richard Webber has ordered the EPA to review and assess scientific studies relevant to airborne lead pollution. He notes Congress requires the EPA to review the national standards every five years. The Missouri Coalition for the Environment filed suit, claiming the EPA has failed to review the air safety standard as required by law. The Doe Run smelter has only been found in compliance with air pollution standards once in the last few years. A review of new studies could mean even tougher standards for the smelter to reach.