Policy Resolution ETE-25-07

WHEREAS, people around the world increasingly rely on rechargeable batteries to power mobile phones, electric vehicles, laptop computers, and other portable devices;

WHEREAS, cobalt is an essential material for lithium-ion battery technology used in most of these devices;

WHEREAS, the growing global market for portable electronic devices and rechargeable batteries is driving the increasing demand for the extraction of cobalt;

WHEREAS, according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the source of more than two-thirds of the world’s cobalt mining;

WHEREAS, the largest mines in the DRC are located in the southern Katanga province with a reserve of 3,600,000 tons of cobalt ore according to the U.S. Geological Survey;

WHEREAS, the use of child slave labor has become inextricably linked to the mining and collection of cobalt ore in the DRC;

WHEREAS, artisanal miners include children as young as six years of age who scavenge for rocks containing cobalt, and wash and sort the ore before it is sold;

WHEREAS, chronic exposure to dust containing cobalt can result in a potentially fatal lung disease called hard metal lung disease;

WHEREAS, the inhalation of cobalt particles can also cause respiratory sensitization, asthma, shortness of breath, and decreased pulmonary function;

WHEREAS, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimated in 2014 that approximately 40,000 boys and girls work in all the mines across the southern DRC, many of them involved in cobalt mining;

WHEREAS, companies involved in the lithium battery supply chain are aiding and abetting in the death and serious injury of child slaves who extract cobalt by purchasing cobalt from these mines;

WHEREAS, the United States has become a world leader in areas of environmental protection, innovation, and justice;

WHEREAS, the United States has established a goal that 50 percent of new vehicles sold will be zero emission by 2030;

WHEREAS, the use of child labor to support the mining for cobalt in the manufacturing of lithium used to power electric vehicles should not be ignored;

WHEREAS, large deposits of cobalt can be found across the United States; and

WHEREAS, the United States must take remedial action to eliminate its participation in the cobalt supply chain that perpetuates human rights abuses and child slave labor.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) hereby recognizes its duty to protect against human rights abuses;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges the Presidential Administration, members of congress, governors and state legislators to adopt laws and regulations which encourage the production of cobalt and other critical minerals ethically sourced from within the United States; and

BE IT FINALY RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges the Presidential Administration, members of congress, governors, and state legislators to adopt laws and regulations to halt the importation of cobalt or any product using cobalt mined in Africa using child slave labor.

• Resolution ID: ETE-25-07
• Sponsored by: Sen. Steven Bradford (CA)
• Policy Committee: Energy, Transportation, and Environment (ETE)