On the TechNet forum this week, old friend Harvey Miller suggested three ways the European Union could reverse the lead ban in solder without actually appearing to do so:
1. Raise the limit for lead in homogeneous material or just for printed circuit board assemblies, from 0.1% to 5%.
2. Require vendors of equipment who exceed limits for lead to be responsible for recycling that lead.
3. Exempt printed circuit board assemblies from the lead ban.
As Harvey notes, no. 3 is more or less the same appeal John Burke of RoHS USA’s made in his exemption request, now under EU review.
