Welcome to the Web site of Battery Council International, the trade association for the lead-acid battery industry. BCI is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote the interests of the international lead-acid battery industry. With more than 175 members worldwide, BCI brings together representatives of many of the kinds of businesses that are involved in the lead-acid battery life cycle, including manufacturers and recyclers, marketers and retailers, suppliers of raw materials and equipment, and industry consultants.
BCI is the authoritative source of battery-related information in many areas. Through its committees and research arms, it researches, develops and publishes technical data, engineering standards, marketing practices, trade issues and governmental and legislative initiatives.
In 1999 the Battery Council celebrated its 75th anniversary and the 140th anniversary of the development of the lead-acid battery business. Click here for more information.
Select from one of the links below to learn about BCI's goals, how to contact us, or to learn more about lead-acid battery business.
For immediate release Contact: W. John Moore
August 4, 2008 Phone: 202.683.3110
BCI Calls For a Major Expansion of EPA's Lead Monitoring Efforts to Protect At-Risk Children
CHICAGO- The Battery Council International, the trade association representing the nation's lead battery manufacturers, suppliers, and recyclers, today urged the Environmental Protection Agency to address concerns about lead's impact on children's health by substantially expanding the nation's air lead monitoring program.
In its comments filed on EPA's proposal to revise the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead, BCI noted that "the principle driver for reducing the NAAQS is the potential effect of lead exposure on the intellectual development of children, especially children living in poverty." However, the monitoring included in EPA's proposal "is wholly insufficient to allow the focusing of state implementation plans and remedial actions" in the most relevant areas and on the most at-risk population of children, BCI's comments said.
"BCI and its member companies share EPA's goal of continued reductions in children's exposure to lead. We are fully committed to the safe and environmentally responsible handling of lead," said Timothy J. Lanfond, chairman of BCI's Environmental Committee. "We are concerned, however, about the apparent disconnect between EPA's goals and its proposed solutions. EPA's proposed monitoring requirements won't allow the agency to collect the information needed to address the very health concerns that are driving the entire lead NAAQS reduction effort," Mr. Lafond said.
Over 100 million batteries are shipped annually in the U.S. by BCI members. About 84% of lead used in the nation goes into batteries and is expanding because batteries are increasingly used in the nation goes into batteries and is expanding because batteries are increasingly used in electric vehicles and to store power generated by renewable energy sources. Nonetheless, air lead levels in the U.S. have declined about 98% in the last 30 years. Despite its extensive use and processing of lead, battery manufacturing facilities are now the source of less than 2% of current industrial emissions, ranking behind at least eight other source categories such as noncommercial aircraft, power plants and military facilities. Almost 50% of the sources emitting more than five tons of lead annually are mobile sources.
EPA's lead NAAQS proposal focuses almost entirely on monitoring of lead emissions from industrial and other "point sources" but require only 50 population-based monitors in the nation's most populated areas, where children are most at risk. Publicly available health data shows old lead paint and contaminated soil, including soils residually affected by the historic use of now-banned lead gasoline, are the main source of the vast majority of children's exposure to lead and possibly contribute to excessive NAAQS lead concentrations.
EPA's proposed population monitoring is far too little and must be substantially increased, BCI emphasized in its comments. The attached two maps, which are included in BCI's comments, show that under the EPA proposal no monitors would be required in the highest risk areas where more than 60% of children live in poverty. Only a handful of counties where more than 25% of children live below the poverty line would have monitoring.
"A monitoring network that focused on the children most vulnerable to lead effects would require a much higher concentration of monitors in high poverty areas," the BCI comments stated.
BCI's comments on the proposed lead NAAQS also address a number of other issues on which EPA sought public comment, including the need for EPA to incorporate into its air-pollution rules information that other agencies and departments have collected on soil and paint lead cleanups. A copy of the comments filed today are available on the link below.
BCI is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote the interests of the international lead-acid battery industry. With more than 175 members worldwide, BCI brings together representatives of many of the kinds of businesses that are invloved in the lead-acid battery life cycle, including manufacturers and recyclers, marketers and retailers, suppliers of materials and equipment, and industry consultants.
Comments Filed to U.S. EPA Regarding National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Lead
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