EPA: No Rule Forthcoming on Lead Wheel Weights

EPA announced in December that it would not pursue rulemaking related to the manufacture, processing, or distribution in commerce of lead for wheel-balancing weights. The agency had published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) on lead wheel weights in April 2024.

The automotive industry has used lead wheel weights to correct imbalances in car wheels. When the weights wear down or are improperly disposed of, lead particles can be released into the air. The ANPRM solicited information on such exposures, but EPA did not receive any submissions of data that it had not already considered, according to the agency.

Additionally, a comment submitted in response to the ANPRM by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation indicated that lead wheel weights are not used on new vehicles sold in the United States.

“EPA’s preliminary assessment shows extremely low risk associated with roadside exposure of lead wheel weights, even when making conservative assumptions,” EPA’s statement reads. It also notes that risk to children from such exposures is very small, even for those who live close to busy roadways.

Since EPA received a petition to regulate lead wheel weights in 2009, they have been banned in nine states and Canada.

More information about the agency’s decision is available from the EPA website.