8 February 2012: The Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has launched an independent report on the environmental and public health issues involved in transboundary shipments of spent lead-acid batteries (SLABs) within North America for the purposes of recovery and recycling of lead for remanufacture.

The report is expected to include policy recommendations to the CEC Council on improving trade- and compliance-related management of such flows, as well as the environmental management of SLABs recycling.

The study, to be finished during 2012, will look at the latest data on recent increase in transboundary shipments of spent lead-acid vehicle and industrial batteries, particularly into Mexico, to examine, among other things, whether the choice of recycling location is due to lower costs of compliance with environmental and health regulations, and what health and environmental risks that may be posing to surrounding communities.

The CEC was created by Canada, Mexico and the US to implement the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), the environmental side accord to the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Under Article 13 of the NAAEC, the CEC Secretariat can undertake studies without a specific mandate from the CEC Council and draw upon any relevant technical, scientific or other information, including submissions from the three governments party to the NAEEC, the CEC’s Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC), industry, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and independent experts.

The Secretariat is inviting interested individuals and organizations to contact them directly about providing information for the study. [CEC Press Release]