Free Trade not a boon to Mexico in this case

[Spidubic]

Mexico gets a double-edged boost in battery recycling business

"Mexico has won a leg up for a reason: Its lead emissions standards are one-tenth as stringent as U.S. standards. Mexican factories can ignore strict U.S. regulations that cap harmful lead emissions onto factory floors and into the air.

The result has been an ever-increasing surge in the trade of used batteries across the border. One watchdog group estimated that in 2011, the dead batteries headed to Mexico would have filled 17,952 tractor-trailers. And the trade keeps growing, the result of a stark regulatory gap that has left Mexico at risk of becoming a “pollution haven,” according to a Montreal-based commission that investigates environmental issues under the North American Free Trade Agreement, the economic accord between the U.S., Mexico and Canada."

[growler]

as i've been out of the loop,on trucking,for a quite a while now,they may no longer be doing it,but there was a company in toronto that bought batterries from all over the us,that called me to haul "scrap" battery's all the time,for recycling.
i never did when hauling them, use all the haz-mat signs and stuff you are supposed to, but did take the odd load of them on occasion.
actually i think they are still in business,as i see people offering to take old ones away for a bit (small money).
but as i've said before,this lead destroying your brains is a good reason for me to explain my stupidity.