The Illinois Senate introduced, then amended it. The Illinois House of Representatives agreed to it. Both houses passed it. Now it's up to Governor Pat Quinn to sign it.
If he does, Senate Bill SB3347, which amends the state's Environmental Protection Act, will require that beginning Jan. 1, 2012, no person in Illinois may:
sell, distribute, and "in certain circumstances use" a weight or other product to balance a vehicle wheel or tire "if the weight or other product contains... more than 0.1% lead by weight."
In addition, the bill would prevent anyone from selling a new vehicle equipped with such a "weight or other product" beginning in 2012.
The ruling also applies to wheel weights containing mercury if the mercury "was intentionally added during the manufacturing process."
The original bill was introduced into the Illinois legislature on Feb. 10, 2010. The bill was sent to the governor less than four months later, on May 27.
