Yahoo Autos California and Washington ban Chevrolet's Camaro SS and ZL1
Enthusiasts in California and in Washington should act fast if they want to put a new Chevrolet Camaro SS or ZL1 in their garage. Both models are now illegal in those states due to the percentage of copper in their brake pads.
California's Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) stepped up its efforts to regulate brake pads in 2010, when then-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill called the California Motor Vehicle Brake Friction Material Law. It prohibits carmakers and suppliers from selling brake pads "containing more than trace amounts of copper, certain heavy metals, and asbestos." Pads containing heavy metals and asbestos were banned in 2014, and a ban on brake pads containing more than 5% copper will come into effect in January 2021.
Lawmakers explained copper is toxic to many aquatic organisms. While trout don't snack on high-performance brake pads, the dust generated while braking (the same stuff you often have to clean off of your wheels) sometimes finds its way into rivers and contaminates the water, which in turn harms the animals living in it.
