Reasearch on Battery

Our review of the available reports provided by lead battery companies shows

that few are complying with the collection provisions of the Lead Battery

Management and Handling Rules (2001). The data also demonstrates that the

current system is inadequate to ensure that most lead batteries are being

collected and taken to registered recyclers. These findings indicate that used

lead batteries are not being collected in sufficient quantities to allow for the

needed modernization of the lead battery recycling industry in India.

Background

Effective battery collection systems are necessary to facilitate the development

of large-scale, environmentally sound recycling facilities. Investments in

modern and efficient lead battery recycling plants can only be justified if a

supply of used batteries are readily available at a competitive price and in

sufficient quantities in the local market. Competition for scrap batteries from

low cost, small-scale recyclers and even backyard operators can deter investors

from entering what could otherwise be a successful venture.

Small recyclers that dominate the Indian market cannot justify the expense of

installing pollution controls and their plants operate at greatly reduced

efficiencies. Most rely on coal to fuel crude furnaces. Furthermore the quality

of lead derived from these operations is insufficient to be used in producing

high quality long-life lead batteries. Hidden costs including the clean up of

environmental contamination and health care for overexposed workers are not

paid by these small businesses.

Communities surrounding lead battery recycling also experience higher lead

exposures. Several published studies have documented significantly elevated

exposure levels among children residing near lead battery recycling operations

in developing countries and workers in these plants are generally over exposed.

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There are dozens of reports of lead battery recycling sites from around the

world that have been the source of lead poisoning to local residents.

The demand for lead batteries is predicted to increase for all uses - especially in

India where they are used extensively for backup power and growing

transportation markets. The expected rise in telecommunications systems,

automobiles, and computer sales will fuel future growth in the production of

lead batteries. Newer applications for solar power and wind generation will

also contribute to its growth.

India has very limited domestic lead production capacity. Most of the lead scrap

that is generated locally from melting down lead batteries must be refined at a

second smelter to improve its purity before it can be used in making new lead

batteries. Inefficient smelters also waste a significant percent of the lead in the

form of air emissions. Therefore in India, most of the lead used in battery

manufacturing must be imported. Combined with the projected demand for lead

batteries in India and poor recycling practices that result in the loss of millions

of tones of lead to the environment, we can expect future shortages of this

important raw material in the future.

Methods

In 2001 the Ministry of Environment and Forests issued the Indian Battery

Management and Handling Rules that require lead battery manufacturers to

collect a minimum of 90% of the batteries they sell through dealers. The law

established an extensive reporting system for dealers, manufacturers, importers,

recyclers and others in the supply chain. Recyclers are also required to be

registered by state level pollution control boards.

The extensive data collected for compliance with these provisions has never

been evaluated or released to the public. Our goal is to evaluate compliance

with this rule and its success in establishing large-scale collection of used

batteries in India. In particular, we set out to establish if the largest lead battery

producers are collecting a sufficient quantity of lead batteries to encourage

additional investment and modernization of this highly fragmented industry.

We contacted the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Central

Pollution Control Board to obtain this data. We were surprised to learn that this

information was not being collected or tabulated by the Union Government and

we were instead instructed to seek this data from individual state level agencies.

Under the under the Right to Information Act we then requested these reports

from the following states:

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--Andhra Pradesh --Kerala

--Delhi --Maharashtra

--Gujarat --Tamil Nadu

--Haryana