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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon

Time: 8:18 pm

Results for toxic substance

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Author: Greenpeace International

Title: Lead Astray Again: The Ongoing Illegal Trade of U.S. Scrap Lead Acid Batteries to Brazil

Summary: Greenpeace researchers have discovered that imports of scrap lead acid batteries (LAB) into Brazil are continuing in violation of Brazilian and international law. Grupo Moura, one of the country's largest manufacturers of car batteries, is the principal importer of LAB into Brazil despite national import ban since 1994. According to data from the Brazilian foreign trade secretary (SECEX) from January to June of 1997, 5,702 tons of lead scrap batteries were imported to Brazil and 5,000 tons (88%) came from the U.S. Grupo Moura is responsible for all imports from the U.S. with a total value of U.S.$774,000. In October 1996, Greenpeace denounced Moura's illegal imports of over 66,000 tons of used LAB from the U.S. Greenpeace analysis of soil, water and sediment samples from Grupo Moura's lead recycling facilities in the state of Pernambuco show dangerous lead contamination caused by the company's operations. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, between January and April of 1997, the U.S. exported U.S. $842,000 worth of scrap batteries to Brazil. Shipping manifests from the U.S. Port of Miami showed 108 containers (2,800 tons) labeled as "batteries wet filled with acid UN 2794" were shipped to the port of Suape/Recife in Pernambuco, Brazil in the first five months of 1997 (1). The exporter was International Trade Partners of Medley, Florida. (2) The shipments were all done on the SeaLand vessels "Sea Wolf" of "Sea Fox". In this illegal trade, with which Brazil bases its industrial development on the importation of hazardous waste from the United States, Brazil essentially doubles its lead contamination problem: while lead batteries are imported for dirty recycling, Brazil's own used batteries are left in landfills, on the roadsides or end in backyard smelters. In this report, Greenpeace documents the trade in lead acid batteries, and calls for measure by Brazil and the U.S. to end this illegal and hazardous trade.

Details: Amsterdam: Netherlands: Greenpeace International, 1997. 5p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 22, 2019 at: http://archive.ban.org/library/lead_astray.html

Year: 1997

Country: Brazil

URL: http://archive.ban.org/library/lead_astray.html#1

Shelf Number: 156006

Keywords:
Brazil
Environmental Crime
Hazardous Trade
Illegal Trade
Illicit Trade
Offences against the Environment
Pollution
Scrap Lead Acid Batteries
Toxic Substance