Auto Club to Help Motorists Roundup Used Vehicle Batteries in Recycling Effort.

Business Editors/Automotive Writers

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2003

Motorists May Drop off and Recycle Used Vehicle and Boat Batteries

Daily April 19-26 During "THE GREAT BATTERY ROUNDUP(R)"

The Automobile Club of Southern California is asking Southland motorists to scour garages, backyards and storage sheds for used lead-acid vehicle and boat batteries, and bring them to specially- designated collection sites for recycling.

To protect the environment, as well as human health and safety, Southern California motorists will be able to bring used car, truck and boat lead-acid batteries to any of 65 safe collection locations daily from Saturday, April 19 to Saturday, April 26, to coincide with Earth Day, April 22.

Called "The Great Battery Roundup(R)," the goal of the Auto Club campaign is to collect 6,000 batteries throughout the Southland. The campaign is a national recycling effort for AAA affiliates.

"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. "With an estimated 230 million vehicles on the road in North America, the proper use and disposal of vehicle batteries, tires and various types of automotive fluids are crucial to a healthy environment."

Leaking acid can cause painful injuries to children or animals. Leaking lead eventually seeps into the ground, polluting the soil, contaminating backyards and water runoff, according to Mazor. Battery explosions can cause injuries, he added.

For each battery "rounded up" and returned, the AAA Battery Service will donate $1.50 to The Friends of the Sea Lion Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, this year's designated charity. (Other AAA affiliates selected their own local groups as beneficiaries.)

A list of the 65 safe-drop off locations can be found at www.aaa-calif.com.

The Auto Club requests that:

-- Consumers wear leather or sturdy work gloves and safety

glasses when handling batteries.

-- Keep batteries upright and place them in a sturdy box or

plastic container when transporting for recycling.

-- If the battery case is cracked or leaking, be especially

careful to choose a leak-proof container.

-- Do 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.

Individual consumers who have multiple batteries in need of pick up and recycling may call one of the 65 local collection points near their home and request transportation assistance during "The Great Battery Roundup(R)."

"Nearly 99 percent of a vehicle battery can be recycled, including reusing the lead," said Mazor. "Unfortunately, more than 5 million vehicle batteries are not returned for recycling each year."

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.

Many batteries are illegally disposed in dumps and water sources, but many more are simply sitting in a forgotten corner of someone's property where they could contaminate soil and ground water, explode in a fire or become a source of lead poisoning to humans and animals.

The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest AAA affiliate, has been serving members since 1900. Today, the Auto Club's members benefit from the organization's roadside assistance service, insurance products and services, travel agency, financial products, automotive pricing, buying and financing, automotive testing and analysis, trip planning services, and highway and transportation safety programs.

Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com.