lead smelter

Lead battery recycling promises to be environmentally friendly

Mon May 19, 2008 7:32am AEST


The proponent of a lead battery recycling facility at Tomago says it will be using state-of-the-art technology to ensure the environment is protected.

The $10 million secondary lead smelter would produce 21,000 tonnes of refined lead product and employ 24 full-time workers.

Under the plans currently before Port Stephens council, the batteries would be crushed at another site before being recycled at Tomago.

Company spokesman Barry Wyborn says secondary smelting is far cleaner and more environmentally friendly than a primary smelting facility like the former Pasminco operation.

"We've been working with the legislation and with the Department of Environment and Climate Change and I can tell you this is a much different operation to primary lead smelting," he said.

"We will be using state-of-the-art technologies and we will be meeting all of the industry standards for environmental issues."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/19/2248383.htm