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by GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL

Greenpeace investigations revealed that imports of scrap lead acid batteries (LAB) into Brazil are continuing in violation of Brazilian and international law. Grupo Moura, one of the country's largest manufacturers of car batteries, is the principal importer of LAB into Brazil despite a national import ban since 1994. According to data from the Brazilian foreign trade secretary (SECEX) from January to June of 1997, 5,000 tons of lead scrap batteries were imported to Brazil from the U.S. Grupo Moura is responsible for all these imports, with a total value of US$764,267.

These imports were registered under the Brazilian tariff code 85.48.10.10 - lead scrap and residues of batteries. An official footnote to this code states "importation prohibited (resolution CONAMA 23/96)." Yet this footnote was ignored. In October 1996, Greenpeace had already denounced Moura's illegal imports of over 66 tons of used LAB from the U.S. The scandal prompted the environmental authorities to reformulate the Brazilian national waste import ban and pass resolution CONAMA 23/96.

According to U.S. Department of Commerce data, between January and April of 1997, the U.S. exported scrap batteries worth of US$842,000 to Brazil. Shipping manifests from the U.S. Port of Miami showed 108 containers (2,800 tons) labeled as "batteries wet filled with acid UN 2794" were shipped to the port of Suape/Recife in Pernambuco, Brazil in the first five months of 1997. The exporter was International Trade Partners of Medley, Florida.

"The import/export data simply proves that neither the U.S. nor the Brazilian government are really committed to ban hazardous waste trade. These batteries should not be arriving at Moura's backyard," said Marcelo Furtado, from Greenpeace International.

"If Brazil and the U.S. care about protecting public health and environment, this trade should stop immediately," added Furtado.

In 1994 the member states of the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes decided by consensus to prohibit immediately all exports of hazardous wastes destined for final disposal and for recycling by 1998 for wastes coming from the wealthy countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to countries not belonging to this organization. This decision was adopted in response to developing countries opposition to the perverse tendency of the industrialized countries to use poorer countries as a dumping ground for toxic wastes. The Basel Ban was incorporated in the text of the Convention in the form of an amendment during the Third Conference in Geneva in 1995.

Under U.S. regulations, used LAB are not considered hazardous waste unless they are crushed; however the Basel Convention clearly defines this type of waste as hazardous. The U.S. is the only OECD country that has failed to become a party to the Basel Convention. Therefor, as a non-party, the U.S. cannot trade wastes with Basel members without a bilateral agreement. The U.S. and Brazil currently do not have such agreement.

Greenpeace analysis of soil, water and sediment samples from Grupo Moura's lead recycling facilities in the state of Pernambuco indicated dangerous lead contamination caused by the company's dirty operations. Lead levels in soil and sediment were generally above 20,000 mg/kg. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends permanent removal of soils which contain lead at levels greater than 5,000 mg/kg. Lead is one of the most pervasive and toxic of all environmental contaminants, and is particularly dangerous to children. Acute or chronic exposure can cause brain damage and metabolic disorders.

"Moura's plant would never be allowed to operate in the U.S. but is good enough to recycle U.S. batteries in Brazil and poison workers and the surrounding environment." said Marijane Lisboa from Greenpeace Brazil. "The U.S. should deal with their own waste crisis and Brazil should immediately shut down any facility not in compliance with our environmental legislation," added Mrs. Lisboa.