After severe wildfires impacted parts of Los Angeles recently, cleanup efforts are being hindered by the large number of lithium-ion batteries that were caught in the flames.
Lithium-ion batteries power most hybrid and electric vehicles, they are also used in golf carts, e-bikes, laptops, cellphones and many wireless devices. They can also be found in power banks that provide backup energy and have become increasingly popular in US homes.
When damaged or subjected to heat, these batteries can ignite or even explode due to residual heat setting off a chain reaction that causes them to spontaneously combust.
According to officials, at least 12,000 structures were destroyed in the fires in areas that had higher-than-average numbers of electric vehicles, and the California Office of Emergency Services has had to send hazmat teams to inspect homes for lithium-ion batteries before the clean-up can continue.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “It is very likely that these batteries were not all consumed in the fire, so now they’re damaged, which means they’re all dangerous” adding “This will be, from our estimation, probably the largest lithium-ion battery pickup, cleanup, that’s ever happened in the history of the world”.
Given the rising sales of hybrid and electric cars, and their use in electronic devices, lithium-ion batteries have become a global issue. As well as becoming a major problem in the aftermath of wildfires, the batteries have become dangerous to transport and have been the cause of several major incidents on cargo ships.
Evolution Forwarding specialise in dangerous goods movements, by air, ocean and road. We provide complete solutions for packing, documentation, compliance and training for dangerous goods products, including lithium batteries. For further information please email info@evolutionforwarding.com or call 0800 4346244.
