OLYMPIA — The lead weights used to balance tires would be outlawed under a bill that has passed the Washington state Senate.

The Olympian reports it's expected to pass the House and be signed into law by Gov. Chris Gregoire. Tire dealers would have to shift to steel weights.

The state Ecology Department says lead weights that fly off tires can be pulverized by passing cars and leach into rain runoff and soil. Lead is toxic and has been linked to brain damage.

Some tire dealers have already started phasing out lead weights.