Cleaner environment: removing the barriers to lead-acid battery recycling
The author notes that 60% of battery manufacturing lead supplies come from recycled batteries. Without battery recycling, both the availability and the price of lead would radically change business climate of operations. But, the bad news is that, if the lead-acid battery is considered sufficiently harmful to justify closing down the battery recycling industry, what kind of attitude will environmental regulators develop toward the manufacturers of batteries if there is no way to dispose of them. At present, battery recyclers are caught-up in a web of what has come to be known as environmental gridlock, wherein well-intentioned environmental regulations have become so flexible that they actually defeat their original purpose. One example of this condition is the strict, joint and several liability provisions of SUPERFUND. People who collect and transport spent batteries may be held financially responsible for the consequences of circumstances totally beyond their control. Other examples, including excessive hazardous-waste taxes in California, are cited as the author summarizes the environmental gridlock situation. He concludes that, because of the tremendous importance of lead-acid batteries to the American way of life, the real problem is how do we accomplish the goal of recycling 100% of the spent batteries, thereby removing the threat of the spent battery solution.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Dunlop/GNB Inc., St. Paul, MN (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6200859
- Journal Information:
- Battery Man; (United States), Vol. 30:12
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
S. 398: This Act may be cited as the Lead Battery Recycling Incentives Act, introduced in the Senate of the United States, One Hundred Second Congress, First Session, February 7, 1991
Assessing environmental, health risks depends on perspective
Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
LEAD-ACID BATTERIES
RECYCLING
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
ECONOMIC IMPACT
CONSTRAINTS
SUPERFUND
RECOMMENDATIONS
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
LAWS
POLLUTION LAWS
REGULATIONS
250900* - Energy Storage- Batteries
290700 - Energy Planning & Policy- Transport & Storage
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety