No, Chevy did not quietly unveil a submersible vehicle just before the end of the year. It’s just that new environmental laws have got in the way of the all-new Chevrolet Camaro SS and ZL1 because their brake pads contain too much copper.

What’s wrong with copper? It kills fish. So how did we get here, and what’s the future for Chevy and their marine murdering sports car?

Brought in by none other than the Governator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill called the California Motor Vehicle Brake Friction Material Law, which helped to increase the power of California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to regulate brake pads in 2010. This law prohibits carmakers and suppliers from selling brake pads “containing more than trace amounts of copper, certain heavy metals, and asbestos.”

From January 2021, brake pads containing more than 5% copper will be banned, disqualifying Chevy from rolling out the Camaro SS and ZL1.

Over in Washington, the Better Brakes Law from the Department of Ecology also recognizes that copper is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic species. Vehicle brake pads manufactured after 2021 must contain less than 5 percent copper by weight, and by 2025, all brake pads must have less than 0.5 percent copper.

Outside of dirtying up your tires, brake pads account for up to half of the copper entering Washington waterways. Even though fish aren’t chowing down on brake pads, the dust generated while braking can contaminate water sources, making it harmful for animals.

While only the high-power SS and ZL1 variants are the only models affected by the ban, cars already in a dealer’s inventory are still legal to sell. However, with 48 other states to choose from and Chevy dealers all over the United States, there are plenty of other places to get your hands on a new Camaro.