A collaborative task force of automotive aftermarket associations and leadership representing brake pad manufacturers, distributors, retailers, dealerships and service providers has announced the launch of an informational website to provide assistance to the vehicle repair industry in complying with the “better brake laws” enacted in California and Washington State. These laws were designed to significantly reduce the amount of copper, cadmium, chromium VI, mercury, lead and abestiform fibers contained in brake pads sold in those states beginning in 2014.
The website, www.copperfreebrakes.org, is now live and contains information and links to help suppliers, distributors, and service providers know what is expected of them in regards to the manufacture, sale, and installation of brake pads in those states. Manufacturers of brake friction materials are required to undergo a “self-certification” process through an approved registrar and to have their materials tested for the level of those contents specified. Ultimately all brake pads manufactured after 2021 will contain less than 5 percent copper by weight; and by 2025, brake pads sold in the state of California will contain less than .05% copper by weight. A similar industry task force is working on implementing a memorandum of understanding (M.O.U) that would make the Washington regulations a standard across all states.
Rodney Pierini, president and CEO of CAWA – Representing the Automotive Parts Industry (in California, Nevada and Arizona) who has led the task force said of the new website, “We are excited by the fact we have a central industry repository for information regarding the better brake laws. We realize that this is a dynamic environment and the information regarding both states’ regulations should be accessible on one webpage. We will be continually adding materials including a frequently asked question page to the site once they become available or if regulations have changed.”
Other participants who collaborated in the website creation include the Automotive Aftermarket Supplier’s Association (AASA), Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), CAWA – Representing the Automotive Parts Industry, Automotive Service Councils of California (ASCCA), California Automotive Business Coalition (CalABC), California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA), Automotive Service Association of Washington (ASA- Washington), and the Washington Automotive Industry Association (WAIA).
Both Washington State and California provided content for the site and encourage visitors to use the information to ensure their own particular compliancy to the legislation. Updates to the site will be made continually as recommendations for content are received.
