US-owned Exide battery recycling plant in Lower Hutt has filed a legal challenge against the Government for allowing shipments of used lead batteries to go overseas.
The company on Wednesday filed an application in the High Court for a judicial review.
The application asks the court to consider whether the Government is breaching its domestic and international obligations by allowing the exports when they could be disposed of safely in New Zealand.
Exide is also asking the High Court to suspend any decision on current applications to export nearly 18,000 tonnes of used batteries.
The Government has already set it may set up a review of lead battery disposal.