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Orphaned ducklings
need your help.
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T
he Automobile Club of Southern California’s
is asking motorists to scour garages,
carports and yards for used vehicle,
motorcycle, boat and airplane batteries.
During the “Great Battery
Roundup®” April 16 through
23, used batteries will be accepted
at 96 designated recycling sites.
Not only is there no charge to recycle
the batteries, but for each battery
“rounded up,” AAA Battery
Service, will donate $1.50 to the
San Pedro-based International Bird
Rescue Research Center’s bird
rescue and environmental education
work.
The goal of the AAA
“Great Battery Roundup®”
campaign is to collect 1,200 batteries
throughout the Southland. The battery
recycling campaign is a national
recycling effort for AAA affiliates.
A list of the drop off locations
in Southern
California can be found at http://www.aaa-calif.com/corpinfo/05-04-01-gbr-list.asp.
Many batteries are illegally
disposed in dumps and water sources,
but many more are simply forgotten
in someone’s garage, carport,
yard, storage unit or shed. Nearly
95 percent of a vehicle battery
can be recycled, including reusing
the lead. Unfortunately, more than
five million vehicle batteries are
not returned for recycling each
year.
"We are very grateful
to Automobile Club of Southern California
for helping educate the public about
the danger of lead batteries that
are discarded or improperly stored.
This program provides the perfect
opportunity to recycle lead batteries,
and benefit non-profit environmental
groups like ours," said Karen
Benzel, IBRRC's public affairs director.
“The impact of
vehicle maintenance on the environment
can be an overlooked aspect of responsible
vehicle ownership,” said Steve
Mazor, the Auto Club’s principal
automotive engineer. “Leaking
acid can be a source of poison to
children, animals and wildlife.
Leaking lead eventually seeps into
the ground, polluting soil, contaminating
backyards and water runoff,”
according to Mazor. Battery explosions
also can cause painful chemical
burn injuries, he added.
“With an estimated
210 million vehicles on the road
in the U.S., the proper use and
disposal of vehicle batteries, tires
and various types of automotive
fluids are crucial to a healthy
environment,” Mazor said.
The roundup has been
endorsed by the Environmental Protection
Agency, a federal government agency
that has encouraged motorists to
participate in the campaign.
The Auto Club requests that:
• Consumers wear
leather or protective gloves and
safety glasses when handling batteries.
• For those transporting dead
batteries for recycling, keep batteries
upright and place them in a sturdy
box or plastic container. Plastic
containers can be purchased at local
home repair and auto repair centers.
• If the battery case is cracked
or leaking, be especially careful
to choose a leak-proof container.
• Consumers should not smoke
near, or expose the batteries to,
an open flame and make certain they
will not shift and tip over in a
moving vehicle.
• Wash your hands
thoroughly with warm water and soap
afterwards, even though you wore
gloves.
Individual consumers
who have multiple batteries in need
of pick up and recycling may call
one of the local collection points
near their home and request transportation
assistance during the battery roundup.
During the rest of the
year, the AAA Battery Service will
support the effort by removing a
used battery for recycling each
time they install a replacement
battery for an Auto Club member.
If you don’t have
a battery to contribute, but want
to be part of the campaign, contributions
also can be sent to International
Bird Rescue Research Center, 3601
S. Gaffey Street, San Pedro, CA
90731. Write GBR/San Pedro in the
memo line.
Or donate online through PayPal:
Return
to list of press releases
Media contact:
Karen Benzel, Public
Affairs Director (IBRRC), karen@ibrrc.org
Office: (831) 622-7588
Carol Thorp/Elaine Beno,
Auto Club of So. Calif., (714) 885-2333
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