An explanation of how EPA affects Tradition Rods

As a followup to the "Are Doug's Headers Made in the USA?" thread, I found this on the SEMA bulletin site yesterday:


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established new emissions standards for chromium electroplating and anodizing operations. For decorative chrome plating, the EPA has lowered the emissions levels for existing sources from 0.01 milligrams per dry standard cubic meter (mg/dscm) to 0.007 mg/dscm. New sources will be required to meet a 0.006 mg/dscm limit. The EPA also adopted a reduction in the bath surface tension, arguing that it will achieve further reductions in actual emissions.

The agency is also banning the use of perflouroctyle sulfonates (PFOS), a substance that reduces the bath surface tension. The EPA contends that there are acceptable non-PFOS subs***utes available in the marketplace. SEMA has questioned the need for additional regulations at a time when, according to the EPA’s own data, industry's emissions have been reduced by 99.7% since 1995. The plating and finishing industry's total U.S. emissions are less than 1% of all chromium emissions from various other sources.


It's obvious that it will take a lot of money to meet these new specs. Or, the few platers still in business can move to Mexico.

Hopefully, this will remain up so that the platers here can give us more info as to what this will do to prices and quality.

 

It's hard to say anything about the EPA zealots without it becoming a rant so I had best leave that one alone.

If they keep it up there won't be any manufacturing left in the US nor will there be any workers in those jobs to pay taxes to pay the EPA people's wages. Cut off the hand that feeds you and you end up starving and it looks like that is what their plan is.

 

Sounds like the EPA is leaving a loophole, if for instance I say my bumper chrome it is not for decorative reasons it is to protect it from oxidation.

Just to throw some conjecture into the phray.

 

The most toxic plating aspect that I had heard of from a longtime plater was the matl known as Hex-chrome. The web has much info on this stuff, not all of it coherent or advising clearly as to max exposure limits. I recall a 5 parts-per-million 'limit' value from one chart for Cr-6. Which, if you compare it to something like CO gas, is limited to 50 ppm. Cancer causing toxic matl it is known to be. Usually employed as a powder form in plating? Gives the bright luster quality to plating. Several other industrial processes create the stuff too.

 

Beings that I atribute Chromium as being a signifigant contributing factor in me having colon cancer I am all in favor of tighter guide lines. When I was plating in the early to mid 90's the standards were awful and about 40% of the platers I worked with then have had cancer since. Rod

 

Ah yes, but if you're running a plating business, would you bet your business and maybe even your freedom on your ability to find a lawyer that can convince a judge of that?

You can bet that the EPA's position under its current leadership will be that if it's shiny and it's not a tool or machine part with a specified surface finish it's decorative.

And, given the manner in which the EPA's administrative procedures work, your business might be padlocked and sold off before you ever GET to a courtroom.

 

WOW! I'm on the fence with this type of issue being a cancer survivor that loves chrome!

 

I kinda know the feeling, but with all of the life changes my cancer has caused I tend to lean more to safe. Rod

 

Just a guess, but considering how few plating shops are left compared to what there were 20 years ago, I guess this is probably the the final nail in the coffin for automotive plating in the US? And Canada will probably follow. So I guess we will be sending our stuff to Mexico?

 

I was struck by how much caution was advised re: exposure, and how little clear practical limits to exposure were practiced. There are shops that still use the process and hopefully are not fly-by-night as to the safety issues. One article web-based mentioned the ability of 'natural processes' reducing the Cr-6 back into Cr-3 over time.
I believe Cr-3 is the nutritional required form of Chromium.
Just keep yer jaws off my bumper !

 

I guess the monochrome pastel street rod will be back in style sooner than we thought.

 

I'm the last person that wants anyone exposed to carcinogens. But there has to be a way to do it safely that allows the industry to survive. Unfortunately, the "industry survival" element is irrelevant to regulators.

 

Let's hear from Hamber chromeplaterjosh....

 

While we're on the epa's case....I understand they have mandated yet another gasoline formulation, (I believe E15,)...which, according to the story, is not suitable for use in vehicles built prior to 2001.
Has anyone else heard this ?

4TTRUK

 

yeah, thats a topic for another thread

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=607934

 

it is impossible to avoid 'politics' because it invades every aspect of our lives

 

Oh god, PLEASE NO...

X2.

 

My aunt died of cancer, having worked in a plating shop for years.
But...I do have to wonder if anyone who isn't a govenment employee, ever says that these guidelines are law? Did congress abdicate it's authority?

 

Gonna give this a bump in the hope that we hear from some platers...

 

I knew if I left my 80's style 32 sedan alone it would come back in vogue.....

 

Ain't that the truth, brother..

 

heard this guy speak at MIT a few years ago..
ironically the explanation of "how" it work was SIMPLE..
and its SAFE.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/metal-0519.html

SKY not FALLING..

 

Well said - I would agree with that....

 

Any more info this?

 

This new regulation doesnt change much for the business. We already moniter surface tension of the chromic acid bath on a daily basis and it isn't a big deal. The truth is the bath doesn't emit fumes until it has electricity running through it for plating. These are 2 min. intervals not done consecutively throughout the work day. With industrial chroming, they plate for hours and hours at a time with huge baths. Decorative plating emmisions is miniscule in comparison, yet already regulated just as heavily.

All that said, I'm all for regulation as this stuff is dangerous and to be respected as a loaded gun. There are still many succesful custom chromers around the states following the rules. Its when the rules are so convoluted that it takes a lawyer to understand that I think its ridiculous and biased to the enforcers' favor.

When Hex chrome is banned, we're all but screwed. Tri-chrome is much more expensive to start-up and maintain.

 

Thanks Josh.

 

If I were going to loose my business to legislature then you can bet I would pull out all the stops. The loophole is there for a reason probably not the reason that I think it is there for but it is there for a reason.

Perhaps it is better to get a court ruling first.

 

The EPA has other areas of our hobbys and bussines that are effected by this out of control Goverment agency.
One of my friends had a one man restoration bussiness. He purchased his paint at a local NAPA pars store. One day two EPA agants came and obtained account information on all accounts that purchased paint. They then made a visit the all the area shops to see if the were in compliance with regulations on paint booths. Well my friend had a home built booth. Well, he is still trying to work something out with them on the fines.

 

Yea some of the laws seem goofy to us, but they are there for a reason. I have seen some major changes in the land that I live in in my short ill spent life and if some of the regs had been in place the changes would not have been as drastic.

I guess it probably doesn't hurt much if I dump a gallon of diluted anti-freeze down the drain every couple of years but what if Joe's garage does the same thing everyday for that couple of years.

Just for an example don't ya know.

 

Josh,I'm sure I'm not the only one here that is unfamiliar with the plating terminology,,can you elaborate about the Hex Chrome verses the Tri-chrome? HRP