Help Overturn the Lead Law

Blue Ribbon Coalition press release on helping to overturn the lead law.

House Bill to Overturn Ban on Youth ATVs and Dirt Bikes Introduced!
Weigh in to Have Your Voice Heard!

Youth sized ATVs and dirt bikes are still banned. We need your help to continue to build enough pressure to get the ban overturned. It is unlikely that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will act to approve the Motorcycle Industry Council's petition to grant regulatory relief. This means we need Congress to act.

Representatives Rehberg (R-MT), Burgess (R-TX), Pomeroy (D-ND) and Simpson (R-ID) have introduced legislation that will stop the ban. Please click the Take Action button below to urge your Representative and Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to support and cosponsor H.R. 1587.

ARRA members have responded in huge numbers on this issue already, but it is important that you continue to have your voice heard.

After you weigh in, please use the Tell-A-Friend feature to forward this alert to everyone you know that rides. It is imperative that the voice of every rider be heard!

For more information visit www.stopthebannow.com.

Take Action

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
House Committee on Energy and Commerce
U.S. House

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Please Cosponsor H.R. 1587

Dear,

I'm writing today as a citizen who enjoys riding ATVs / dirt bikes. I urge you to co-sponsor and support H.R. 1587 which will exempt youth model all-terrain vehicles and off-highway motorcycles from the lead content provisions of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

Although the powersports industry has demonstrated that the lead content in the metal parts of ATVs and dirt bikes pose no risk to children's health, the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) recent approval of a final rule imposing strict standards for excluding products from the new lead content limits makes clear that CPSC will not provide relief for youth model ATVs or dirt bikes. Congress needs to step in and make immediate amendments to the CPSIA to ensure that reasonable exclusions can be made for these products, which are piling up in stores and dealerships across the country, needlessly resulting in millions of dollars in lost sales and costs at a time when our economy and these small businesses can least afford it.

But the unintended consequences of this ban go way beyond the business and financial ramifications - it affects me personally, and it affects family and friends who ride with their children, because it destroys the chance for families to enjoy these outdoor recreational activities together. AND it poses a potentially huge safety risk if, as an alternative to having the kid-sized vehicles available, parents opt to put their kids on larger, adult-sized vehicles. PLUS, there is mass confusion. Should kids who race in off-road competitions even go to events? Will parents be able to buy critical replacement parts for their kids' ATVs or dirt bikes, like brake pieces or valve stems? Everyone suffers: dealers, manufacturers, aftermarket, motocross event operators, and especially families with children who are being denied their right to ride. And ride safely.

When the new lead standard took effect on February 10, 2009, youth models of ATVs and dirt bikes designed and intended primarily for children 6 to 12 years of age became classified as banned hazardous substances and dealerships in our area were forced to remove these perfectly good products from showrooms. Components in youth model ATVs and dirt bikes that contain small quantities of lead such as valve stems on tires, aluminum in some brake components, and terminals on batteries, do so to address safety (such as machining the deep grooves on tire valves to assure tire air retention) or for functionality (such as the lead in battery terminals, needed to conduct electricity).

The sad irony is that these youth models were created with the support of the CPSC and consumer advocates to give children a safer alternative to larger, faster adult size models. These long-term efforts to promote child safety are now seriously jeopardized. In addition, youth rider training to encourage the safe and responsible use of ATVs and dirt bikes is jeopardized because new youth models and parts and accessories for them are no longer available. As an ATV / dirt bike rider, and one who has respected the law and encouraged responsible riding, I find this to be unacceptable. The lead in those vehicles does not pose a risk to children 's health. Congress needs to stop this ban - NOW.

I respectfully ask that you co-sponsor and support H.R. 1587 so youth ATVs and dirt bikes again will be available for sale and safe and responsible use.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Address

About BlueRibbon Coalition
The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible recreation, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742. www.sharetrails.org