A hazardous waste cleanup effort is underway in the Palisades and Eaton fire zones of Topanga, California. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has shifted its focus to locating and safely disposing of lithium ion batteries that have been damaged by the fires.
These rechargeable batteries, used in electric vehicles and home energy storage systems, pose a threat to human health if they catch fire or are exposed to high heat. When this happens, a thermal runaway event occurs, creating a toxic atmosphere that can be flammable and explosive.
The EPA’s cleanup efforts involve a reconnaissance team locating lithium ion batteries using information from permits or homeowner reports. Recovery teams then bring the batteries to a staging area, where they are de-energized in a brine solution or wrapped in fire blankets to render them safe. Crushed batteries are disposed of safely.
This method was developed during the Maui wildfire response and is being used on a large scale for the first time by the EPA. The agency’s top priority is public safety, and so far, over 200 lithium ion batteries have been removed from electric vehicles.
Source: https://abc7.com/post/heres-how-epa-is-disposing-lithium-ion-batteries-palisades-fire/15879058