Lead wheel weights.

Under existing law, the Department of Toxic Substances Control is responsible for administering various programs to control the release of toxic substances into the soil and groundwater. Existing law requires, on or before January 1, 2011, the department to adopt regulations to establish a process to identify and prioritize chemicals or chemical ingredients in consumer products that may be considered as being a chemical of concern, as prescribed, and to establish a process for evaluating chemicals of concern in consumer products, and their potential alternatives, to determine how best to limit exposure or to reduce the level of hazard posed by a chemical of concern. Existing law also establishes the Hazardous Waste Control Account to be used as specified by the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature. This bill would prohibit the manufacture, sale, or installation in California of a wheel weight that contains more than 0.1% lead. The bill would provide for injunctive relief, as well as civil and administrative penalties for violation of that provision, as specified. The bill requires all civil and administrative fines collected to be deposited in the Hazardous Waste Control Account for expenditure by the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to implement and enforce the act. This bill would also specify that if the department identifies an alternative to lead contained in wheel weights as a chemical of concern, then the lead alternative would remain subject to the evaluation process, as prescribed, to determine how best to limit exposure or to reduce the level of hazard posed by the lead alternative.