An Assault on Batteries

Joint Report Points to Lead Hazards From Car Parts

Posted: 23-Jul-2003; Updated: 03-Sep-2003

While lead has been banned for decades from use in house paint and even gasoline, due to its proven toxicity, lead emitted during an auto's lifecycle gets into the air, soil and water; lead originating from a single component - the car's battery - is responsible for an astonishingly high level of pollution. Despite high recycling rates, non-recycled batteries account for nearly one-third of the lead waste stream generated from vehicles - over 40,000 metric tons per year.

Getting the Lead Out: Impacts of and Alternatives for Automotive Lead Uses, a new report jointly released by Environmental Defense and the Michigan-based Ecology Center, traces the release of lead into the environment from automobile manufacturing, use and disposal. The report calls on the automotive industry to phase out lead use in cars - most notably in the starter battery - and to take responsibility for ensuring the recovery and proper management of lead used in cars.

Find Out More

• Report: Getting the Lead Out (487 Kb pdf); Executive Summary (183 Kb pdf file)
• Fact Sheet: Alternatives to Lead-Acid Starter Batteries (66 Kb pdf)
• Q & A: The Lead Threat in Vehicles
• Press Release: Automobile Industry Largest Source of Lead Pollution Today (7/23/03)
• Groups Press Auto Industry to Get the Lead Out - Batimore Sun article (7/24/03)
• Green Cars: A Guide to Cleaner Vehicle Production, Use and Disposal
• The Ecology Center - A regional environmental organization based in Ann Arbor, MI, which works for clean air, safe water and environmental justice. The Auto Project of the Ecology Center works to address the toxic and health issues related to the production of automobiles and promotes cleaner vehicle technologies.
• Earth911.org - This Zip code-based guide to local recycling centers helps you find out where you can recycle your car batteries.