Firefighter training program involving burning of lithium-ion batteries coming to an end in Piqua

PIQUA — The burning of lithium-ion batteries in one Miami County community is ending.

The City of Piqua shared on social media Friday afternoon that Energy Storage Response Group, LLC agreed to “immediately cease operations at the Piqua Public Safety Training Center.”

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The company will vacate the site in the next 60 days, city officials said.

This comes after community members raised concerns about the group burning lithium-ion batteries at the city’s former water treatment plant as part of firefighter training.

On Thursday, members from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Regional Air Control Agency (RAPCA) met with city officials to “better understand the battery burning process happening onsite, evaluate compliance, and whether any permits are needed if this activity is to continue,” an Ohio EPA spokesperson told News Center 7.

The visit did not result in the city’s burning permit being revoked. Instead, the city and Energy Storage Response Group, LLC agreed to cease the burning.

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