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.