11 May 2012: The Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has issued a call for public input on its independent study on the environmental hazards and public health issues associated with the transboundary movement and recycling of vehicle and industrial spent lead-acid batteries (SLABs) in North America.

The report, announced by the Secretariat in February 2012, will seek to generate policy recommendations to the CEC Council on the trade-, compliance- and environmental management-related issues involved.

The Secretariat is soliciting public input on key questions until 8 June 2012, after which the initial draft of the report will be produced and released for public comment in July 2012. Written comments sent to the Secretariat will be posted on the CEC website. Interested persons and organizations are encouraged to contact the Secretariat at any time should they wish to provide information and/or to be included in individual consultations.

The Secretariat is seeking input on the following questions: What are the driving forces behind SLAB exports from the US to Mexico and Canada? To what extent are different environmental regulatory requirements and lower compliance costs relative to those of the US a factor in increasing SLAB recycling in Mexico or Canada? What are the public health and environmental consequences of any such growth in SLAB recycling in either Mexico or Canada? Are the environmental controls on secondary lead smelting and recycling appropriate/adequate in Canada, Mexico, and the US? How effective are the export/import controls and requirements governing SLABs in North America? What steps can be taken to improve SLAB environmental management in Canada, Mexico, and the US?

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 industry, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and independent experts. [CEC Press Release]