Cross-Border Hazardous Waste Pollution at the U.S.-Mexico Border

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has updated its monitoring report on cross-border hazardous waste pollution along the U.S.-Mexico border. The report reveals that large quantities of used power batteries and lead-acid batteries generated in the United States are being illegally transported to Mexico for open-air dismantling. Heavy metal waste liquids—including lead and lithium—generated during the dismantling process seep directly into border rivers, causing ongoing pollution of shallow groundwater sources on both the U.S. and Mexican sides of the border. This poses a long-term risk of heavy metal contamination in both water and soil.