| GRN Recycle Talk FAQ Answer |
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 97 10:32 WET DST From: FRIEDMAN.FRED@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV (Fred Friedman) Subject: Re: Battery recycling in 3rd world countries (Arjan Verduin)
June 2, 1997
Dear Arjan Verduin,
It would not be a good idea to conduct battery recycling in any country that did not have proper environmental protection, worker protection, and hazardous waste minimization procedures generally inexpensive and available. This excludes most 3rd world countries.
It sounds like a classic case of colonialism to suggest that such a thing is desireable. If you are talking about lead batteries in particular, but also cadmium batteries, the possibilities for environmental and human health damage are enormous.
Are you able to say what country this is to take place in, who the firm conducting it is, and what type of batteries they will be managing?
One thing that you ought to be aware of is that many 3rd world countries governments now take a very dim view of premeditated pollution of their lands and people with severe criminal penalties for doing so.
And they are absolutely Right!!!
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