By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff
A bill that sought to include motor-vehicle tires that contain zinc oxide for evaluation as potential priority products under the Green Chemistry program was gutted and replaced with unrelated legislation. When a product is listed as a priority product, it immediately begins a process of hazard evaluations that could lead to regulatory restrictions ranging from a hazard warning label to a full ban on tires containing zinc oxide, which is used in tire manufacturing as a catalyst in the curing process to increase durability. Banning zinc oxide in tires would require extensive changes in tire composition that could affect tire safety.
For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.