California Classifies Lead "Hazardous Material"

[noreastDIVER84]

So we have more rules and regulations from the nanny state.

I see the potential for danger in lead, but if you want to look for dangers like that how about CFL's(compact flourescent lights) which have plenty of mercury in them, Smoke detectors have radioactive material in them, Your phone and computer batteries have lithium in them, your flat panel tv has lead in it. I can keep going........

Because of all the rules and regulations out of California, my work truck which is diesel, when I bought it got no more than 15 miles per gallon.(due to emissions and other reducing factors. I have since removed a few items, and added some others, (hello twin turbos and 1000+ hp and 1500+ ft/lbs of torque) I now not only have rediculous power, but I am getting 36 miles per gallon out of a 10000 pound truck that seats six people comfortably and can still haul 20,000+ pounds of trailer.

I do have issue with Prius' and other hybrids or even electrics of that sort. With an electric car you are still putting out the emissions, but not directly. Where do you think the electric that is charging the car comes from? Yes some may be from solar, wind or other alternative energy, but most is coming from burning or fossil fuels. With a Prius, or for better example a Honda Civic hybrid, you actually have more emissions from the hybrid over the gas. With a standard Honda Civic you get over 40 miles per gallon, in a Civic Hybrid the mileage doesn't improve much more.......Why?? Added weight from electric motors and batteries. With the added weight you have an engine that is working harder and producing more emissions due to that.

 

[slowhands]

FACT: Lead is toxic, if ingested. Recently there was a tragedy in Nigeria as hundreds of people, many children, ingested lead as a byproduct of home gold refining. Those people know better now. 163 died, thousands were maimed permanently.
Zamfara State lead poisoning epidemic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

FACT: Years ago in Japan, mercury contamination sickened a whole village. Now that incident is remembered in the name for mercury poisoning, Minamata Syndrome:
Minamata disease - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

These are just small examples of the actual harm that occurs if we are not wise in how we use resources, and dispose of them. It's not about a nanny state. It's about not doing something stupid once we know about it.

Europe led the way by banning lead and other toxic materials in most electronic products, out of concern for environmental contamination. The ROHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) Directive is now a requirement for all electronic devices worldwide. It restricts 6 substances:
1. Lead (Pb)
2. Mercury (Hg)
3. Cadmium (Cd)
4. Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+)
5. Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
6. Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)

This standard was a challenge for manufacturers to abide by, but they managed, in 2003. It's history now. In electronic solder silver replaced lead. Zinc replaced cadmium as a protective plating against rust. For copper plumbing, only silver solder is now permitted. Titanium oxide replaced lead oxide in as the standard white pigment in paints. We adopted substitutes, with some effort, but it was the common sense thing to do.

I agree it's a nuisance not to have an easy source of lead from old tire weights, but that was one tiny source of environmental lead. The next target seems to be lead in bullets and shot. The reason is we know lead, and other materials mentioned, are poisons if ingested. They leach from waste sites, contaminate drinking water, and the rest you know.

It's just common sense not to repeat doing something stupid.

 

[JamesBon92007]

This situation must be approached with some common sense. An outright ban on ALL lead products isn't common sense IMHO.

I think I get it now: they couldn't ban guns so they ban lead. Now bullets will be more expensive. They probably also passed a law making it illegal to shoot anyone with old, lead bullets.

 

[JamesBon92007]

Where's the delete button?

 

[Aceboyd]

Were those same people keeling over and dying from breathing the asbestos dust from the brakes? NO, but long term exposure is well known to not be good for a person.

Being an automotive technician I am glad they banned asbestos, even though it is a far superior material for the job. I guarantee I have a fair amount of asbestos dust lodged in my lungs :shocked2:

If you haven't noticed people are dying of cancer and other carcinogen related things more and more. The birth rate of children with autism has risen sharply. More kids are diagnosed with ADD and other life challenging issues these days, than in the past.

Would you like to have a DDT conversation too?

Yep, the Pseudo-Scientists banned DDT. And effectively sentenced MILLIONS of third world children to DEATH!

"To only a few chemicals does man owe as great a debt as to DDT... In little more than two decades, DDT has prevented 500 million human deaths, due to malaria, that otherwise would have been inevitable."

[National Academy of Sciences, Committee on Research in the Life Sciences of the Committee on Science and Public Policy. 1970. The Life Sciences; Recent Progress and Application to Human Affairs; The World of Biological Research; Requirements for the Future.]

It is believed that [malaria] afflicts between 300 and 500 million every year, causing up to 2.7 million deaths, mainly among children under five years.

[Africa News, January 27, 1999]