On Mar. 4, 1985, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee M. Thomas announced final standards to cut the amount used in gasoline by 90 percent starting Jan. 1, 1986.

The EPA slashed the standards from 1.10 grams per gallon to 0.10 grams per gallon by January 1, 1986. An interim standard of 0.50 grams took effect on July 1, 1985. This action addressed severe public health risks, particularly in children, due to lead exposure. EPA figures show that 16 percent of vehicles requiring unleaded gasoline are being fueled with leaded gasoline, causing a higher than expected lead usage.

The EPA, established on December 2, 1970 by President Richard Nixon, opened its doors in downtown Washington, D.C., and consolidated in one agency a variety of federal research, monitoring, standard-setting and enforcement activities to ensure environmental protection.