WW Woes

[AnnieOakley]

So, typically I'm the best woman around to get the free wheel weights, but not today! I went into my local tire store. They had given me WW two times previously, but today I had a different sales clerk. He told me that they could no longer give me WW because the EPA was really watching where the WW go. Is this true, you think, or is this just a line of ****? I have to mention that we have spent several thousands of dollars at this particular store over the years. The only thing they had going for them was their generosity with the WW. This was just a sad day at the local tire store. :( We will have to go to another tire store that will let us have WW. We don't mind paying for them and have before, but don't want to hear lies about why they cannot give us WW!

Annie

[atom73]

The EPA is not tracking WW lead. Thats a load.

[captain-03]

The EPA is not tracking WW lead. Thats a load.


+1 / Believe someone told them what to say!!

[bumpo628]

More likely the battery company told them that to continue getting such "great" deals, they need to give them all their WW's. You could try trading him all of your steel and zinc weights when you get a bucket full. As long as they have something to turn in, I doubt they'll care since you already have a relationship with them.

[Trail Finder]

I tried some collecting locally and was beat to the punch by a guy paying scrap prices (cash) and comes by weekly.

[jsizemore]

The line "the EPA is watching" usually means, in my area anyway, that someone is willing to pay instead of you getting them for free. Since I know what the price being offered by the local scrapyards is, I offer 1.5-2 times that price and they usually forget what EPA means. I mean, it is about business. If you spend that kind of money putting tires on your trucks, he might be persuaded to look the other way.

[stagatha]

Last year Maine banned the sale of wheel weights with lead. Now they are steel! Glad I had a stash of meltable wheel weights.

[edler7]

My GF had a tire fixed the other day, I told her to hit them up for some weights.

They told her it was a $10,000 fine from the EPA to give them to anyone. :???:

They just happen to sell batteries, too.

[Bjornb]

I would get this answer around town when inquiring about wheel weights, "we can only dispose of WWs to licensed recyclers". So I became a licensed recycler! Paid $50 to the state's version of the EPA, now I flash my "license" and it's become much easier to get a foot in the door.

[gbrown]

I have run into the same problems talked about in previous posts. I walked into a place last Monday and was told "We sell all ours to a recycler we have a contract with." It came out so fast, it was like a canned ad. Several places (nation wide chains) have stated the same thing, and then I have been given some by a friend who got them out of the dumpster behind their store. I have one tire store that gives me a some, weekly. However, most of the time it is 1/2 zinc & Fe. Still, I'm ahead. I'm inclined to think that it is more the corporate office and their legal beagles doing it. As most have said--get it while you can.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Yep...all of the above.
I've stopped going to tire shops, (plus too much non-lead weights)
I'll stick with the auto salvage yards and
part time metals recyclers.
Jon

[hickfu]

I have 2 tire shops that give them to me freely but every other one I have been to gives me the EPA story, Im sure if I would have walked in with cash in my hand it would have been a different story.



Doc

[badbob454]

i worked at a ford dealer whom sold a fair amount of tires the man who sold us wheel weights wanted us to save the old weights and said the epa has to have a record of all lead tracking and wanted us to ship them back to the supplier ., we didnt ... no epa no california anybody looking over our sholders , i recycled them ( made boolits ) and had no problems had done this for at least 7 years , gave many buckets away also . so i dont believe these guys that say the epa this or the epa that....

[badbob454]

ps i had a buisness card made up, for lead ,tin, antimony, and zinc, recycling ... and use it where needed .

[257]

i went into the local wall mart they had two 55 gallon barrells 3/4 full said if it was up to him he would give them to me except wall mart sells them to a recyling company that picks them twice a year. he said he could not even cheat and give me some because the whole service aera is recorded on vedeo

[fredj338]

Depends on what state. Here, the local EPA does fine tire dealers if they do NOT dispose of ww in a proper manner. This state will do anything to make a buck, not unlike a $2 *****. & that is an insult to a $2 *****.

[Fredx10sen]

Depends on what state. Here, the local EPA does fine tire dealers if they do NOT dispose of ww in a proper manner. This state will do anything to make a buck, not unlike a $2 *****. & that is an insult to a $2 *****.

Howdy, could you reference that regulation or law? I have checked many times and couldn't find anything. It would help if you had the info so I could check it out. So many rumors and misinformation out there that it is hard to stay up to date. Thanks. :bigsmyl2:

[Fredx10sen]

Here is something I did find on Ca's Web Site

http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/PollutionPrevention/ToxicsInProducts/LeadWheelWeights_About3of3.cfm


" The old lead weights must be treated as hazardous waste once they're removed, or recycled as scrap metal (which is exempt from regulation), but the good news for most wheel installers is that they probably already have a waste hauler who can properly dispose of the lead."

Might have to dig a little deeper to find some more info. By me recycling it into bullets just :) sayin :) Too many rumors to keep up with :(
Here is the code. I believe that the only fine would be if someone tried to re-install a used WW on a wheel.

HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
SECTION 25215.6-25215.7


25215.6. (a) No person shall manufacture, sell, or install a wheel
weight in California that contains more than 0.1 percent lead by
weight.
(b) If the department identifies an alternative to lead contained
in wheel weights as a chemical of concern pursuant to Section 25252,
then the lead alternative shall remain subject to the evaluation
process imposed pursuant to Section 25253 to determine how best to
limit exposure or to reduce the level of hazard posed by the lead
alternative.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict the
authority of the department pursuant to Sections 25252 and 25253
relating to a chemical or chemical ingredient contained in wheel
weights, including, but not limited to, an alternative to lead.



25215.7. (a) Any person who violates or threatens to violate the
provisions of this article may be enjoined in any court of competent
jurisdiction.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law, a person who violates this
article shall not be subject to criminal penalties and shall only be
subject to the administrative or civil penalties specified in
subdivision (c).
(c) (1) A person who violates this article shall be liable for an
administrative or a civil penalty not to exceed two thousand five
hundred dollars ($2,500) per day for each violation. That
administrative or civil penalty may be assessed and recovered in an
administrative action filed with the Office of Administrative
Hearings or in a civil action brought in any court of competent
jurisdiction.
(2) In assessing the amount of an administrative or a civil
penalty for a violation of this article, the presiding officer or the
court shall consider all of the following:
(A) The nature and extent of the violation.
(B) The number and severity of the violations.
(C) The economic effect of the penalty on the violator.
(D) Whether the violator took good faith measures to comply with
this article and the time these measures were taken.
(E) The willfulness of the violator's misconduct.
(F) The deterrent effect that the imposition of the penalty would
have on both the violator and the regulated community as a whole.
(G) Any other factor that justice may require.
(d) Administrative and civil penalties collected pursuant to this
article shall be deposited in the Toxic Substances Control Account,
for expenditure by the Department of Toxic Substances Control, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, to implement and enforce this
article, except as provided in Section 25192.

[WILCO]

The EPA is not tracking WW lead. Thats a load.

It's all part of the EPA's National Lead Free Wheel Weight Initiative (NLFWWI).

http://www.epa.gov/wastes/hazard/wastemin/nlfwwi.htm#join

The EPA doesn't like that 87% of the 12.5 millions pounds (10.9 million pounds) is sold or given to hobbyists for recreational purposes (e.g., melting down to make fishing sinkers).


One reason they state for businesses to join their program is to "Minimize or eliminate the cost and liability of managing lead."

The EPA has declared war on lead.

[Jon]

I've switched to range lead since WW are all but impossible to get here anymore.

[hickfu]

Someone on here had a great idea and I may try to use it, Make up the business cards that say I am a recycler and lead disposal expert and go back to the "pull your part" auto wrecker place and see if I can talk to their owner about the lead wheel weights being illegal to sell as a wheel weight, They wanted to charge me $3.29 per weight no matter what size it was.


Doc

[Freightman]

Had two tires mounted at a small tire shop and ask about the W-W and he said I use them. Sure enough the tires were balanced with used W-W. No not using them in Texas as a friend who works at another small shop says they use them over.
For what he charged me can't complain $15 for mounting and balance two tires.

[WILCO]

Someone on here had a great idea and I may try to use it, Make up the business cards....

I wouldn't bother Doc. Too much of a hassle. Plenty of fine folks here selling quality lead at fair prices.

[James Wisner]

Well I did manage a score today.

Had work done on the truck, brakes, and upon inspection had three side walls starting to come apart on 8 year old tires, that had 50M miles on them.

So after the brakes, oil and four new tires, I asked about some WW, yeah we might have a bucket, just back up to the first bay so we don't have to pack them so far.

Three 5 gal buckets in the back of my truck, at no charge, that I am going to have to off load tommorow.

Yes, they have steel and zinc in them but what the hey, for the price I can not complain too loudly.

J Wisner