From the State Water Resources Control Board:
The Brake Pad Legislative Report, recently released by The Department of Toxic Substances Control and the State Water Resources Control Board, documents widespread compliance with the 2010 California Motor Vehicle Brake Friction Material Law (Brake Pad Law) and a subsequent reduction in aquatic pollution.
The Brake Pad Law limits the amount of copper and other toxic substances allowed in brake pads in order to reduce the amount of these substances entering California’s streams, rivers, lakes, and marine environment. Copper is toxic to many aquatic organisms, and vehicle brake pads are a major source of copper pollution in urban runoff.
As of 2021, more than 60 percent of brake pads on the market are copper-free, which corresponds to an estimated 28 percent decrease in copper entering urban runoff. Further reductions of copper releases to the aquatic environment are expected as manufacturers continue to come into compliance, new cars and brakes enter the California fleet, and previously accumulated copper is flushed out of watersheds.
The Brake Pad Legislative Report also summarizes the work DTSC has done to implement the Brake Pad Law, including developing criteria for testing, certification, and marking of brake pads, and establishing requirements for and approving testing of certification agencies.
For more information on the California Brake Pad law, please visit the Department of Toxic Substances Control web page.
Brake-Pad-Legislative-Report-Accessible
