Comments on: CPSIA’s ban on brass

By: John Thacker

John Thacker — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:43:13 +0000

the result was a completely messed up law and a situation where almost no-one in Congress wants to admit that the law isn’t perfect. At least if this had been a partisan law, the other party could be counted on to take up the cause against it.

Actually, while you’re correct that it was passed in a bipartisan process, the Republicans seem to have realized that the law was rushed and is badly flawed, and are making the right noises about changing it. But they’re a tiny minority, and the majority Democrats have made it clear that no changes are forthcoming.

By: Christ on a Cracker

Christ on a Cracker — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:26:55 +0000

Frank,

We can only hope this means the end of middle-school band concerts.

By: Frank

Frank — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:20:32 +0000

Does anyone have an idea on how this impacts “brass” musical instruments which are marketed to children?

By: Vader

Vader — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:07:42 +0000

“Are schools now going to be forced to remove all brass …”

Of *course*.

“… and if so, who will bear this financial burden?”

Most likely property owners in the school districts.

By: rxc

rxc — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:14:29 +0000

I wonder how they test wooden baseball bats for children. Given that each one comes from a different tree, I would think they would have to test each bat and provide a certificate of compliance. And then all of the other toys/objects made from substances which can vary from piece to piece. Essentially everything made from wood or other natural materials that does not come out of a factory in a large batch.

What a mess!

By: Larry Sheldon

Larry Sheldon — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:20:05 +0000

Let us look at the bright side–getting rid of most of the school brass is a very good thing.

What we don’t pay in salaries to Supervisors, Administrators, and on and on, we can give back to the taxpayers, or use to buy equipment, or ……

By: VMS

VMS — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:52:15 +0000

Congress gets an “F” in metallurgy and basic common sense! Lead (~2%) is added to brass (a zinc/copper alloy) to make it “free-machining” (i.e. optimal cuttability at high speeds with machine tools). Leaded brass is not dangerous, even to children. Even leaded water supply parts and fittings which some say should probably be made from lead-free brass (no greater than 0.25% Pb) present no problems especially if the first second’s worth of water from the faucet is not used for potable purposes. Most brass purchased by specification is not “leaded brass.” In other words, if you specify what’s in it you get what you order. If one buys “junk brass,” he gets an unspecified alloy likely to contain some lead, since leaded brass isb inevitably included in the melt.
This “junk brass” is used in appliations where strength, corrosion resistance and other properties do not need to be tightly controlled. Keys and outdoor padlocks are such applications. Most people in-the-know thought California went off the deep end when they banned keys made from leaded brass or junk brass. For some reason, CA now requires brass keys to have less than 1.5% lead.

By: Wacky Hermit

Wacky Hermit — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:30:40 +0000

I have to admit GregS has a very good point. The problem isn’t so much with CPSIA as with a Congress so arrogant and removed from real life as to think that either this law actually does keep children safe without harming any business that wasn’t already doing evil, or that the burdens it places on ordinary men and women aren’t so large as to do damage that other, smaller people can’t clean up for them. Congressmen and women that truly believe these things will never act to help us plebes. What else can we do but remove them from office?

By: Richard Nieporent

Richard Nieporent — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:19:49 +0000

This is crazy. Do these people have any understanding of science? What will the government do next, ban CO2? Oh, wait!

By: William Nuesslein

William Nuesslein — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:23:54 +0000

For GregS:

CPSIA was not a drafting error. It reflects the compete ignorance of risk science by Western Society that passes through our lawmakers.

We are spending a half billion dollars dredging the Hudson River to eliminate PCB’s even though the level of PCB’s in the river will be no lower twenty years from now than if nothing were done.

A neighbor has a bed bug infestation that could be dealt with effectively, cheaply, and safely with DDT. But there is a stupid ban on DDT that makes a bed bug infestation an expensive nightmare.

Governor Cuomo said on the Leon Charney program that he favors Nuclear Power. His Shoreham decision cost New York State five and a half billion dollars, because of some moronic idea that the location was unsafe.