Good for her for undertaking a localized trash removal project. By her own acknowledgement these batteries have been on the bottom for a long time - that is, the "pre-awareness" period (and the $6.00 battery core charge).

However, take notice of what she said in the comments:

"Q) why not just leave them, they are not hurting anything... A) Prove to me that bare lead and heavy metals in water is of zero impact and they are not eyesores in the beautiful UW world and I'll be happy to leave them. Oh wait, I can't, we already took them out.

The fact is that in response to similar citizen concerns the Federal EPA has looked at the issue of lead such as this (and fishing weights, downrigger balls, and commercial fishing lead lines) and determined that they do not represent a hazard. And that is exactly why the efforts this legislative session to ban lead fishing weights failed - there is no evidence that in their inert form they present a hazard.

I wonder what divers would use in lieu of lead in their weight belts if bare lead in the water were to be determined a hazard?
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Remember to immediately record your catch or you may become the catch!

It's the person who has done nothing who is sure nothing can be done. (Ewing)