Montreal, 11 May 2012—On 8 February 2012, the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) announced that it had begun an independent examination into the environmental hazards and public health issues associated with the transboundary movement and recycling of spent lead-acid batteries (SLABs) in North America.

To enhance the quality of this study and public report, and the transparency of our research, the CEC Secretariat is soliciting comments on the research questions provided below. Comments received by 8 June 2012 will be most helpful. 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 initial research questions for this study are:

1. What are the driving forces behind SLAB exports from the United States to Mexico and Canada?
2. To what extent are different environmental regulatory requirements and lower compliance costs relative to those of the United States a factor in increasing the recycling of SLABS in Mexico or Canada?
3. What are the public health and environmental consequences of any such growth in SLAB recycling in either Mexico or Canada?
4. Are the environmental controls on secondary lead smelting and recycling appropriate/adequate in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
5. How effective are the export/import controls and requirements governing SLABs in North America?
6. What steps can be taken to improve the environmental management of SLABs in Canada, Mexico, and the United States?

For more information on the scope and organization of this study please refer to the report’s draft Table of Contents.

Written comments sent to the Secretariat to info@cec.org will be posted on the CEC website.

Public discussion of the draft report will begin after July 2012. The Secretariat anticipates that the report will be completed in 2012.

If you have questions about the draft or the review process, please contact Eduardo Viadas, CEC Secretariat, eviadas@cec.org