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Date: 10/26/2023
AGAWAM — October is National Fire Prevention Month, and the town’s Public Works and Fire departments took the opportunity to warn residents about the dangers of throwing rechargeable batteries in the trash or recycling containers.
Tracy DeMaio, the town’s environmental project coordinator, said two incidents have been reported during the past six months from improperly disposed rechargeable batteries. She said the town’s trash hauler, Republic Services, had to stop collections and call for firefighters in one incident because of a fire that “clearly started” from a discarded rechargeable battery.
Rechargeable batteries — used in many household products, as well as outdoor power equipment and electric scooters and bikes — contain a variety of heavy metals and other materials. If not handled properly, they can be harmful to human health and the environment.
“When you put rechargeable batteries in your recycling or trash container, you’re putting workers and facilities at risk,” said DeMaio. “Taking these batteries to a drop-off site may be an inconvenience, but it’s the safer — and required — method of disposal.”
DeMaio said rechargeable batteries may be removeable or permanently attached to a device. In addition to lithium-ion batteries, there are nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd), nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH), nickel-zinc (Ni-Zn) and small sealed lead batteries.
“These types of batteries contain reactive chemicals and metals that generate electrical energy and should never go in any trash or recycling bin,” she said.
Before storing and transporting batteries, residents should be particularly aware of any lithium-ion batteries that are damaged, defective or recalled, known in the recycling industry as “DDR.” Compromised batteries are hazardous and can combust violently without warning.
“It only takes one DDR lithium-ion battery to cause a fire, placing residents, workers and fire crews at risk,” said Fire Chief Alan Sirois. “When they’re damaged, or they’re not handled appropriately, the batteries malfunction — and they can malfunction catastrophically. It’s becoming a severe problem that we’re trying to get ahead of in Agawam.”
Sirois said the chemical compound that makes up a battery dictates the level of hazard associated with a particular battery: “Batteries we’re talking about are specifically lithium-ion composition batteries. There’s lithium metal, and various other components inside the battery itself, along with an insulator and a small amount of fluid.”
When the insulator fails, due to either physical damage to the battery — such as being crushed in trash truck compactor — or the battery is overcharged or overheated, he said components start to mix that aren’t supposed to mix.
“When that occurs, a thermal runaway event happens — essentially the battery heats itself up and a chemical reaction occurs inside,” he said. “Eventually, the battery gets hot enough to ignite a large fire.”
In addition to the fires in the town’s trash hauling trucks, Sirois said during the last several years the department has responded to numerous other fires caused by or involving batteries.
“They can be challenging to deal with. When these batteries catch fire — or go into thermal runaway — they essentially produce their own oxygen. Because of the chemical reactions that occur, once batteries start burning, they’re impossible to extinguish,” he said.
Sirois said it can be difficult for the public to watch, but it’s ultimately safer for everyone involved to let batteries burn, once they start.
“We protect exposures [but] let batteries burn until they’re fully consumed. Then the hazard is gone,” Sirois said.
The fire chief said a different tactic is used if there’s a battery fire inside a structure.
“In these cases, we’re going to do our best to put the fire out,” he said. “But if there’s a battery fire out in the open — such as a battery-powered lawnmower or an electric car — away from anything else that’s a value, firefighters may opt to take a non-intervention strategy and just let it be consumed.”
Rechargeable batteries, along with button-cell and lithium batteries, may be recycled at Home Depot, Staples, or the DPW office, 1000 Suffield St., Agawam. Batteries brought to the DPW must have terminals or ends of batteries taped and in a clear bag to reduce the fire risk.
DeMaio said before storing and transporting batteries, residents should be particularly aware of any compromised lithium-ion batteries.
“Batteries that are damaged, defective or recalled cannot be dropped off at the DPW. Residents should call the DPW at 821-0624 for proper dropoff and disposal options,” she said.
Sirois said that within several weeks, one disposal option could be Fire Department headquarters at 800 Main St., Agawam.
“We’re setting up a DDR collection site with a containment vessel — a 55-gallon drum — that stores 132 pounds of DDR batteries,” he said.
It contains a special material called cellblock — it looks like kitty litter — with specially formulated compounds to encase the battery. If a battery goes into thermal runaway, the battery maintains its structure inside the compound.
“DDR batteries have to be specially packaged and have to be in a [Department of Transportation-approved] permanent container for shipping so you don’t have a truck driving down the road with 100 pounds of defective batteries that could spontaneously burst into flames,” said Sirois.
Lithium-ion batteries are classified as DDR if they:
For more information about disposing household batteries, visit agawam.ma.us.