WHEREAS used lead-acid batteries are an environmental hazard and pose a risk to human health, yet are accumulating in stockpiles at municipal landfill sites province wide; AND WHEREAS the provincial government has established a Lead-Acid Battery Collection Program that is funded from revenue collected from a 5 consumer levy but has stopped providing transportation incentive payments to assist with the collection and transportation of used batteries to a processing facility, thus forcing brokers to collect at their own cost: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities urge the provincial government to immediately reinstate the payment of transportation incentives to assist with the collection and transportation of used batteries.
Ministry of Environment The Government of British Columbia Government continues to operate the BC Lead Acid Battery Collection Program Program, started in 1991, to assist with the economic and safe collection of lead-acid batteries. The Program offers lead-acid battery transportation incentives using a formula based on the world market price of lead and the distance to a processor. When the world market price of lead is high, as it has been for the last 2 years, the Government financed transportation incentive is low. The transportation incentive supplements the gate or market price paid to the transporter by the processor on delivery of the battery. Since the battery programs inception, the capture rate for lead acid batteries in the Province of British Columbia has averaged 96. The Ministry of Environments Industry Product Stewardship Business Plan 2002 stated that the current battery program was not consistent with the principles of product stewardship, and that the responsibility should be transferred to the battery brand-owners. As such, lead acid batteries are being considered for inclusion as a product category in the Recycling Regulation.