EPA denied the lead ban petition with the following public notice:
November 4, 2010 -- Today EPA denied a petition calling for a ban on the manufacture, use and processing of lead in fishing gear. In a letter to the petitioners, Steve Owens, EPA's Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, indicated that the petitioners have not demonstrated that the requested rule is necessary to protect against an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment, as required by the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The letter further indicates that the increasing number of limitations on the use of lead fishing gear on some federal and state lands, as well as various federal and state education and outreach activities, call into question whether a national ban on lead in fishing gear would be the least burdensome, adequately protective approach to address the concern, as called for under TSCA. EPA's letter also notes that the prevalence of non-lead alternatives in the marketplace continues to increase. The pre-publication Federal Register Notice is here.
Please note that Crappie.com's comments were cited in the background document produced by EPA.

