[sam_paine]

Does anyone know how good or bad the remaining allowed brake materials are in comparison to those using the to-be-banned ones?

You know the answer to that without any reference to the subject matter, don't you?

Manufacturers have optimized some lining compositions for higher performance, and some of them have been optimized for lifetime and cost.

If you artificially exclude some of those components then by definition you will compromise on either cost/life or performance.

Copper is dangerous? For God's Sake you have to pay extra to buy copper pots from a boutique cooking supply to EAT OFF OF.

They just trying to make people nuts with this crazy.

Copper is not cheap but it is a fantastic heat conductor. Less copper means hotter brakes, faster fade, more dead people. Except when they mandate it in Washington, manufacturers will have to simplify their distribution chain by migrating the "Washington Safe" parts to all states.

[absalom01]

New regulations in California have basically banned effective anti-fouling paint for boats because of concerns that the copper in the paint might be harming marine life inside marinas.

It's insane, but that's the state of play with the enviro-regulatory apparat today.