According to a notice published in the Federal Register on March 8, 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will decide by late September 2007 whether to propose a new air-quality standard for lead.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Feb. 27,2006, lowered the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for hexavalent chromium (CrVI) to 5.0 micrograms/cubic meter as an 8-hour time-weighted-average (TWA) exposure.

Paint demand in Russia exceeded one million tons in 2005 and is estimated at 1,050,000 tons, according to Information Research (IRL), London.

The industry newsmakers are making headlines.

The NPCA Architectural Coatings Model predicts real, although slowing, growth in architectural coatings in 2006. The housing market is cooling slightly, whereas the construction market is expected to remain steady in the non-residential sector.

The office of the CEO at BNP Media has announced that Donna Campbell, publisher of PCI magazine, has also been named publisher of Industrial Paint & Powder (IPP) magazine. Kevin Biller will be the new editor.

The following appointments were made recently.

The Third Congress and International Exhibition of Paints and Inks: REPORT 2006 will take place September 6-8, 2006, at the Sheraton Hotel Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Coatings Research Institute at Eastern Michigan University has announced its 2006 series of spring and fall short courses.

World demand for architectural paints is forecast to rise 3.7 percent per year through 2009 to 19.8 million metric tons, valued at $39.3 billion.