California declares steel wheel weights the best alternative to lead

Adding to the mounting body of evidence that steel wheel weights are the best alternative to lead weights, the California Environmental Protection Agency's Department of Toxic Substances Control has released the findings of its "wheel weight assessment," declaring steel weights the "preferred alternative."

The study was conducted to measure the environmental impacts of lead alternatives in the wake of a law passed in the 2009 California legislature that bans the sale, installation and import of lead wheel weights in the state. The life-cycle study, which measured impacts associated with lead, steel and zinc wheel weights, sought to identify “regrettable substitutions or burden shifting as a result of the lead wheel weight ban.”

Kevin Keefe, director of marketing for Hennessy Industries, which produces the industry-leading BADA line of wheel weights, applauded the report’s findings.

“As an increasing number of states take a look at this issue and take action to ban lead weights, reports like this one will play an important role in helping states make wise decisions about alternatives to lead,” Keefe said. “Our position has always been that if a state bans lead, it shouldn’t replace it with an alternative like zinc that also presents environmental concerns. It is becoming increasingly clear that steel is the best alternative, and the California study presents solid evidence on why that is the case.”

The report’s conclusion makes a compelling case for steel. “The substitution of zinc for lead weights poses a burden shift as the losses during use are more harmful to the environment than lead,” the report states. “Lower environmental and human health impacts coupled with the propensity for steel wheel weights to be made from recycled material appears to position steel wheel weights to be the best overall alternative.”

The full report is available here.

More information on the BADA line of steel wheel weights is available at www.ammcoats.com, and a comparison of steel vs. zinc weights is available at www.steelwheelweights.com.