Residents demand answers from city over lithium-ion burning in Miami Co.

PIQUA — A heated meeting took place Tuesday night between Piqua city leaders and residents.

Tuesday, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency announced they will shut down lithium-ion battery burning at the city’s old water treatment plant.

At the Piqua City Council Meeting, residents wanted answers from city leaders about the impact the burning has had on their community.

The Ohio EPA said the Energy Safety Response Group stopped doing lithium-ion battery testing on Sept. 22.

It sent a violation notice to that company.

>> RELATED: Ohio EPA halts battery burning permit at Piqua training site after air, water quality concerns

The notice asked the company to send water and air data from the site to the Ohio EPA for review.

Residents said they want to know those impacts.

“Our biggest concern is we don’t know what this has done to our community,” Eva Silvers said.

News Center 7 previously reported the lithium-ion batters were being burned for testing purposes as part of fire and research training.

Some in the city wondered how this will impact their health.

“If I get sick and my son gets sick and the testing gets proven, I will be suing Piqua,” one resident said.

“Listen to citizens, they are your bosses,” another resident said.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Permit for firefighters to burn lithium-ion batteries near river raises concerns in Piqua

The Ohio EPA and Regional Air Pollution Control Agency inspected the plant last month and found the burning was “not within the scope of the open burning permission.”

The EPA also said it terminated Piqua’s current open burning permission at the city’s request.

“This burn issue, it was originally an opportunity that made sense to us and we did have the necessary approvals,” Mayor Cindy Pearson said.

But some in the city just don’t know what to think.

“The problem is mistrust,” Silvers said.

The company doing the testing will leave the plant over the next two months.

The mayor said the city will follow any recommendations the EPA and RAPCA have.

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