(Des Moines) As reported on Wednesday, a lithium battery from an e-bike caused a house fire in Des Moines.
Additionally, Lithium battery fires are becoming a growing concern in the solid waste collection industry.
In a previous interview with KSOM/KS95 News, Chris Jahnke, Director of the Cass County Landfill, says lithium is highly hazardous and flammable, and some of the biggest problems involve vape pens and cell phones, which contain different types of batteries.
Jahnke says even small batteries can create a fire hazard. He says that includes hearing aid batteries, watch batteries, car key fob batteries, garage remote batteries, and other items that contain lithium.
Jahnke mentioned Iowa law requires battery manufacturers to help fund battery collection. The Cass County Landfill works with a company called “The Battery Network” to help with battery collection. Jahnke says through this network, they can accept these batteries free of charge, box them, and send them back to the company.
The EPA identified 245 lithium-battery fires at 64 waste-management facilities across the United States between 2013 and 2020, including 139 fires at landfills and 15 involving transportation facilities such as garbage trucks.
