A few comments on Seth's draft, see below. Just my $.02 worth.
Chuck Dolci
Director, Environment, Health & Safety
*
*
*From: Seth Goodman <[log in to unmask]>
*Subject: Re: [LF] Join us in an Appeal to the IPC
*X-To: "Charbonneau, Richard A" <[log in to unmask]>
*To: [log in to unmask]
*
*Hi Richard,
*What would I like the IPC position to be?  Perhaps something like this:
*
*It is well-established that lead is a toxic ELEMENT, NATURALLY OCCURRING IN
NATURE and that it should not be released BY MAN into the environment WHERE IT
CAN REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO CONTAMINATE WATER SUPPLIES.  THEREFORE, we share
the CONCERN of the WEEE that
*the electronics industry should not generate toxic metal environmental
*pollution.  While the recent WEEE draft directive to eliminate lead from
*electronics manufacturing appears to be consistent with that goal, a more
*careful evaluation does not necessarily come to that conclusion.  It appears
*that the currently feasible substitutes for tin-lead solder may actually
*cause more toxic metal pollution than the present tin-lead system.  It is
*also not clear that the small amount of tin-lead solder in discarded
*electronics assemblies in landfills results in measurable environmental lead
*pollution.  FURTHERMORE THERE MAY BE A COST, IN HUMAN HEALTH AND SAFETY TERMS,
WHEN CERTAIN ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS AND INSTRUMENTS ARE MADE LESS RELIABLE BECAUSE
OF AN UNTRIED AND UNPROVEN TECHNOLOGY. Since it is not clear that the WEEE
approach will result in less
*toxic metal pollution, and since the implementation costs would run to the
*billions of dollars, we recommend that the WEEE not implement the draft
*directive at this time.  We further recommend that environmental impact
*studies be immediately undertaken to ascertain the environmental
*consequences of using tin-lead versus lead-free soldering systems.  This
*should establish the facts upon which sound policy can be developed to
*reduce toxic metal environmental pollution.
*
*Regards,
*
*Seth Goodman
*

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