UN Panel Adopts Changes to Battery Transport Regulations Supported by PRBA
The Portable Rechargeable Battery Association (PRBA) supported amendments by the International Pilots Association and U.S. regulators to improve regulations for shipping lithium batteries and battery-powered products that were adopted this week by the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods after a series of meetings in Geneva.
"PRBA and its members supported efforts by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Association (IFALPA) to improve international dangerous goods regulations governing the transportation of lithium metal and lithium-ion cells and batteries and the consumer products powered by them," said PRBA Executive George Kerchner, who attended the UN meetings. "These amendments to the international dangerous goods regulations address the immediate concerns of both U.S. and international transportation agencies and organizations."
The Sub-Committee's actions will affect how battery manufacturers, distributors, retailers and consumers package and ship lithium metal and lithium-ion batteries. The most significant change to existing international regulations establishes a separate UN identification number for lithium-ion batteries. The proposal to establish this separate UN number was introduced by IFALPA and overwhelmingly approved by the UN panel. The IFALPA proposal was identical to a measure that PRBA introduced at the July 2006 meeting of the Sub-Committee. The panel also approved the U.S. DOT's proposal for additional marking and documentation requirements for packages containing these batteries, making it easier to distinguish between lithium metal and lithium-ion batteries and to identify these materials in transportation. The UN Sub-committee's recommendations will be considered by the ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel, which has scheduled a May 2007 meeting in Memphis, Tenn. If, as expected, ICAO approves the UN measures, the changes would take effect on January 1, 2009 for lithium metal and lithium-ion batteries transported internationally by aircraft and on Jauary 1, 2010 for international shipments on cargo vessels. ICAO also is expected to address several other battery-related proposals at its meeting in Memphis.
The Transport of Dangerous Goods Sub-committee includes participants with voting status from 27 countries. Other countries and non-governmental organizations such as PRBA have Observer status. The Sub-Committee provides leadership in harmonizing regulations on the transportation of dangerous goods by establishing an international regulatory framework. In 2004, PRBA was granted official Observer status with the UN Sub-Committee in recognition of the association's expertise on battery technology and its experience in the transportation field.
