Lead air pollution levels measured near the Nation's roadways have decreased 97 percent between 1978 and 1997 with the elimination of lead in gasoline used by on-road mobile sources. Because of this historic decrease, EPA is reducing its requirements for measuring lead air pollutant concentrations near major highways, while retaining its focus on point sources and their impact on neighboring populations. The EPA published a direct final rule for ambient air quality surveillance for lead on November 5, 1997 (62 FR 59813). Due to adverse comments received, the rule was withdrawn on December 23, 1997 (62 FR 67009). Based on comments that were received, today's action revises 40 CFR part 58 lead air monitoring regulations to allow many lead monitoring stations to be discontinued while maintaining a core lead monitoring network in urban areas to track continued compliance with the lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). This action does not diminish existing requirements for lead ambient air monitoring around lead point sources. Approximately 70 of the National Air Monitoring Stations (NAMS) and a number of the State and Local Air Monitoring Stations (SLAMS) could be discontinued with this action, thus making more resources available to those State and local agencies to deploy lead air quality monitors around heretofore unmonitored lead point sources. Affected industries include primary and secondary lead smelting, lead battery recycling, and primary copper smelting.