Posted on 09/03/2008 7:24:07 AM PDT by Red Badger
Tire companies, big box stores, and the government are putting the brakes on the use of lead wheel weights. Through EPA's National Lead-Free Wheel Weight Initiative, partners have agreed to phase-in the use of lead-free alternative wheel weights and reduce the amount of lead released into the environment by 2011.
"Our partners have pledged to reduce or eliminate their use of lead wheel weights," said Susan Parker Bodine, assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "Their efforts will remove millions of pounds of lead from the environment and the waste stream."
Eliminating lead wheel weights is a significant step toward reducing the overall amount of lead released into the environment. EPA estimates that 50 million pounds of lead per year are used for wheel weights in cars and light trucks. It is common for wheel weights to come off when a vehicle hits a pothole in the road or stops suddenly, which results in lead entering the environment. Lead-containing wheel weights also add lead into the environment as they move into the waste stream at the end of product life.
The charter members include Firestone Complete Auto Care; Firestone Racing (a division of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire); Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.; Costco Wholesale; Wal-Mart Tire and Lube Express; Sam's Club Tire and Battery Centers; Wal-Mart Transportation; Hennessy Industries Inc.-BADA Division; Perfect Equipment; 3M Automotive Division; the U.S. Air Force; U.S. Postal Service; General Services Administration; Ford Motor Co.; General Motors Corp.; Chrysler; Plombco; the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers; the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia; the Ecology Center; Sierra Club; the Environmental Council of States and several small businesses.
For more information, visit www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/minimize/nlfwwi.htm
and you can’t use lead sinkers either. :)
think positive tho, as soon as this goes into effect, you *should* be able to get a whole lot of lead real cheap by buying out the remaining stock. also, the price of lead will probably plummet, getting us much cheaper lead.
Exactly where does the lead come from in the first place...Mars??
Yep, I better go pick up plenty of wheel weights so I can make some “non-tagged” marbles, sinkers, bullets, and fishing weights!! hehe
Cool....I want some that glow in the dark.
You know, they make a nifty little set of pocket size fishing pliers that have a small depression in the jaws to accommodate those types of fishing sinkers. It would keep you from having to bite down on them.
My crystal ball which is linked to the law of unintended consequences indicates a big jump in waste tires entering the environment.
why is this so ridiculous???
Only you can answer that question to the satisfaction of those who believe in what freerepublic stands for. Let me just mention a few words, there are many more, bullets, sinkers chinese toys, paint, x-ray room walls racecar ballast. The point at which government’s intrusion into our way of life becomes “beyond ridiculous” varies with each person, but sooner or later you will reach your limit.
Dang ....so much for free roadside reloading components when the biker zombies take over !
***which results in lead entering the environment***
And lead comes from where?
Because it is not a problem; it doesn’t need solving; and it sure doesn’t need solving by government bureaucrats making new regulations all paid for by taxpayers and consumers.
You are correct. Best stock up. We recently finished building an Imaging Center where they specialize in advanced MRI’s. There were literally sheet upon sheet of lead being thrown in a dumpster after the rooms were lined. We took them melted it and made about a thousand large sinkers. You won't be able to get them soon!
sweet
I’ll feel better in my Jeep with du wheel weights
It is common for wheel weights to come off when a vehicle hits a pothole in the road or stops suddenly, which results in lead entering the environment.
BS. Yes it does happen but its not “common”.
Happens now and again. But in all my years of driving, I’ve never lost a weight.
Looks like I'm going to have to depend on berm mining to get my bulk raw material. Getting antimony and tin to sweeten the alloy will be the trick.
I may have to pummel a Greenie today. 8^)
so are our bullets...
actually - they’ve already gone there - you can’t hunt ducks and geese over the water with lead shot - they sell steel and bismuth shot as alternatives - but the steel is too light and makes for cripples and the bismuth is very, very expensive.
f**k ‘em - I still use lead - haven’t been caught yet.
“reduce the amount of lead released into the environment “
Ummm. If lead dosen’t come from the environment, ie. the planet we live on,
then where does it come from? Then again if it will keep kids from sitting beside the road chewing on tire weights I guess thats a good thing.
Where does lead originate? Surely not in the environment?
Already are on the way out. Alternative materials are already on store shelves - brass being one of the most common. Also at a much higher price than lead.
What I don't get - lead is treated as if it is unnatural - as if it is a manmade element. Where do they think lead comes from? The earth...
Remembering when Dupont’s patent expiration of refrigerants congress mandated their new one which was a “non polutant to polar caps”)I see stuff like this and my reaction is “follow the money”
This sillyness about “lead” is the point behind my campaign to bann CFL’s,posted in http://www.theusmat.com/ The problem is those holdover legislators who should get booted because they voted for these lemmingist “global warming” mandates (by the way no sun spot activity we’re in for a very cold spell) are creating some serious unintended consequences
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