The Environmental Protection Department has seized 2,000 waste lead-acid batteries, suspected to be for export without a permit, inside two containers at Kwai Chung Container Terminals.
The seizure, made yesterday in co-operation with the Customs & Excise Department, followed a raid on July 15 on a Yuen Long recycling site which illegally stored 3,000 lead-acid batteries as well as 3,200 waste cathode ray tubes and waste LCD monitors pending export.
The estimated market value of the chemical waste was $560,000.
The Environmental Protection Department is questioning the people involved and gathering evidence to initiate prosecution proceedings.
In Hong Kong only licensed collectors can take chemical waste, which must be delivered to the department's licensed facilities for treatment and disposal.
Prior approval must also be obtained for importing and exporting chemical waste.
