(Sacramento, CA. - September 29, 2016) This week, the California Lead Acid Battery Recycling Act (AB 2153 - C. Garcia) was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. The law takes effect January 1, 2017 with the collection of fees beginning April 1, 2017.
The California Lead Acid Battery Recycling Act creates a state mandated Lead-Acid battery fee that will serve as a funding mechanism for clean-up of areas contaminated by lead-acid batteries. Consumers will be charged a $1 fee per vehicle battery at point of sale, including marine batteries. Manufacturers will pay an additional $1 fee on all applicable batteries sold in the state. The money from the fees will be used to clean up areas of the state that have been contaminated by the production and recycling of lead acid batteries. Consumers will also be charged a refundable deposit as part of the purchase to encourage return of their spent batter for environmental recycling.
AB 2153 represented a collaborative effort to codify an extremely effective consumer recycling program for lead acid batteries. The measure also enacts a method to fund the clean-up of the communities around a former lead acid battery recycling facility in the Los Angeles area.
CAWA, along with the Auto Care Association, Battery Council International, the Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE) working in coordination with the California Retailers Association, California Chamber of Commerce and others joined efforts to ensure the legislation addressed the lead contamination problem while not disrupting the current existing successful battery recycling system or imposing fees on the retail industry.
"This collaborative approach by industry partners is significant because all levels of the supply chain were represented and the eventual compromise addressed both the environmental issues of concern to the legislature, as well as protecting the current lead acid battery recycling system between retailers and consumers, which boast over 98% success rate", stated Rodney K. Pierini, CAWA President & CEO.
CAWA is a regional auto care industry trade association, which represents auto parts jobbers, warehouse distributors, retailers, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives and program groups. The Association provides education, legislative, regulatory and business support to the industry and its membership. It is one of the largest trade associations of its kind in the United States and recognized as a leader in the auto care industry. Visit
www.cawa.org
for further information about the Association.
Contact:
Rodney Pierini
President & CEO
CAWA - Representing the Automotive Parts Industry
4030 Lennane Drive, Sacramento, CA. 95834
800.332.2292, ext. 1
admin@cawa.org
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