Why no tires on vehicles in Star Wars EPA Decides Not to Proceed with Proposing Lead Wheel Weight Rulemaking

EPA Decides Not to Proceed with Proposing Lead Wheel Weight Rulemaking

Published Dec. 20, 2024

Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will not initiate a proposed rulemaking addressing the manufacture, processing, or distribution in commerce of lead for wheel-balancing weights (“lead wheel weights”) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), after reviewing the information submitted in response to an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) issued in April 2024, and EPA’s technical analysis thereof. EPA’s analysis shows that risks to children from lead wheel weights are significantly lower than described in the petition EPA received on this issue in 2009. Specifically, EPA estimates that dust from lead wheel weights represents an extremely small fraction of a child’s overall residential lead exposure, even if the residence is near busy roads. EPA also found that since the petition was filed, nine U.S. states and Canada have banned lead wheel weights, and EPA was informed that vehicle manufacturers no longer install lead wheel weights on new vehicles sold in the U.S.  

https://www.epa.gov/chemicals-under-tsca/epa-decides-not-proceed-proposing-lead-wheel-weight-rulemaking