PRBA comments on Boeing's lithium ion battery recommendations.

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PRBA executive director George Kerchner said the Rechargeable Battery Association shares Boeing's (NASDAQ: FB) goal of improving the safe transport of bulk shipments of lithium ion batteries by air.

Ongoing international regulatory initiatives, along with the development of innovative fire suppression technologies and more robust international enforcement efforts are reducing risk and advancing battery safety, Kerchner point out. Together, these ambitious efforts to improve transportation safety mitigate the need to prohibit air shipments of lithium ion batteries used daily in thousands of consumer, aerospace, medical, military, transportation and environmental applications.

Kerchner said PRBA supports ICAO's recent regulatory initiatives on lithium batteries, including new stringent packaging and labelling requirements. He added that PRBA also remains concerned that certification of aircraft fails to consider the unique hazards associated with the carriage of any dangerous goods, not just those associated with lithium batteries.

PRBA members produce approximately 70 percent of the world's lithium ion cells and account for billions of dollars in annual worldwide sales. With more than 70 members, PRBA is widely recognized as the nation's authoritative source for information on rechargeable batteries.

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