Lead vs. steel

Momentum is building to ban the use of lead tire weights for balancing wheels. Four states have such bans.

What's the big deal?

Well, nationwide, 2,000 tons of the little lead weights fall off wheel rims every year and become a health hazard to wildlife and people. Lead's toxicity led to a 1991 national ban on lead shot for waterfowl hunters. Follow-up studies showed a two-thirds reduction in lead-poisoning deaths of ducks within the first five years.

Steel or even zinc weights are regarded as a safe replacement, but lead is cheaper and easier to work with.

Is the trade-off worth it?

An award-winning team of research students at West Branch seems to think so. Team DeadWeight inspired Iowa City's Dodge Street Tire earlier this year to become the state's first tire business to switch.

Dropping lead is the right thing to do. We'd prefer to see a national ban before a state ban, phased in so all affected businesses have reasonable time and a level playing field to make the change.