It's Friday - at last......



Just wanted to say thank you for all of the support received this week.



Last Friday there were no support letters for exemption request #15 on the
use of lead in solders exemption.



As this email goes out a week later there are 187 support letters on the EU
web site http://english.people.com.cn/200612/06/eng20061206_329217.html and
the support is coming from a very heavy weight line up of individuals and
companies.



I also received a tonne (..note metric!!...) of data on the use of lead in
electronics and got the requested data back to the Oko Institute in the time
frames required.



Thanks to one and all for the fantastic support, keep spreading the word,
and let's see what happens.



And just to clarify a point here. The activity that I am engaged in - trying
to get an exemption for lead in solders is coming from a genuine concern for
the environment coupled with a second genuine concern for needlessly making
electronics less reliable (and yes I believe I am justified in making that
comment since IPC and JEDEC have now launched a conference program to
address just that issue)



For the record I believe that the INTENT of initiatives such as RoHS, EuP
and REACH are excellent, and congratulate the team at the EU Environment
Directive for their magnificent efforts in co-coordinating these
initiatives. In every dealing with them that I have had they have been very
civil and prompt in their actions and replies.



What I continue to have an issue with is the manner in which the decisions
are taken, and I use the lead in solders ban as a prime example. The only
way that counter intuitive environmentally damaging legislation can be
avoided is to thoroughly research the issues.



And I do mean thoroughly. Let's face it the industry has been preparing for
lead free soldering for around 7 years. Shouldn't the EU have been looking
into and fine tuning the legislation "on the fly" as due diligence? You
would think in 7+ years that someone would be employed in the Directive to
do due diligence by desk research and be advising accordingly? Maybe they
don't advertise those jobs because people like me might apply??.....8-)



Quite honestly if the electronics industry worked the same way as that
process we would still be communicating by carrier pigeon.



Anyway, thanks to one and all. I can honestly say that I could not do this
without you all.



Kind regards,







John Burke



(408) 515 4992




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