January 1st, 2013 is D-Day for brake pad manufacturers in Washington State. Brake pad manufacturers that do business in the state must report to the state what amounts of harmful materials are in their friction friction materials.
While copper is getting all the attention, other ingredients are getting the boot sooner.
Brake manufacturers gearing up to meet Wash. law
By PHUONG LE
Manufacturers of brake pads are gearing up to meet a first-in-the-nation Washington state law requiring they phase out the use of copper and other heavy metals.
Washington in 2010 banned the use of copper in brake pads, as a way to prevent the metal from polluting waters and harming fish. When brakes wear down, they release copper shavings onto roads and are eventually washed into rivers, where state officials say it could harm marine life, especially salmon.
“We’re hoping that people will be ready to certify their products soon,” said Ian Wesley, the law’s coordinator. He added: “I’m expecting that people will want to certify quickly.”