Toxins: Transnational Problem

Some parties to an agreement in which a U.S. battery recycler will pay $2 million to help clean up a toxic waste site in Mexico regard it as a clear signal of future cooperation on mutual environmental problems between the two countries under the proposed North American Free Trade Agreement. Others regard the settlement, announced Tuesday, as more public relations than real progress. But one thing is clear: This case underscores not only the economic interdependence of Mexico and the United States but their inextricable environmental links as well.

The settlement was paid by Dallas-based RSR Corp., among the world’s largest battery dismantling companies, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Quemetco Inc., based in the City of Industry.

In 1988, RSR hired Alco Pacific Inc. of Gardena to reprocess lead from car batteries. But, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, which prosecuted RSR for illegally transporting hazardous materials, Alco instead abandoned the highly toxic waste near El Florido, a town of 5,000 east of Tijuana.

Mexican officials closed the 14-acre dump in 1991 after repeated complaints from El Florido residents and environmentalists. By then, 31 million pounds of lead waste from the Los Angeles area had accumulated.

On June 2, RSR pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of illegally transporting hazardous materials. RSR denies the charges but agreed to the settlement to avoid expensive litigation.

In addition to $2 million for site cleanup, RSR will pay $200,000 in fines and $300,000 for monitoring the health of people who may have been affected by the lead waste. Criminal charges have been filed against Alco’s owner and two employees.

Batteries contain lead, known to be a developmental toxic. Lead waste, sometimes in a powdered form, can become airborne or seep into ground water if it is not properly disposed of. Lead can cause chronic neurological problems, including brain damage in children, and can impair memory and intelligence.

Although cleanup at El Florido will cost far more than $2 million, the high-profile settlement points to growing cooperation between Mexico and the United States on the environment. We hope that cooperation leads to real progress.