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Fire chiefs, recyclers and manufacturers press battery stewardship and safety rules as fires rise at facilities
Summary
Fire chiefs, auto recyclers, battery recyclers and manufacturers testified the committee should create stewardship programs and clearer rules for consumer and EV batteries to reduce fires at recycling facilities and clarify who manages end‑of‑life batteries.
Fire chiefs, recyclers and manufacturers told the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on Oct. 12 that the Commonwealth needs clearer rules and stewardship programs for lithium‑ion and other batteries to reduce fires and to ensure reuse, recycling and safe handling.
Public safety testimony: Brockton Fire Chief Brian Nardelli testified the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts "is 110% behind" legislation to establish stewardship and safer management of lithium batteries. He cited rising incidents of battery‑caused fires and said improper disposal and degraded batteries challenge firefighting and recycling operations.
Industry and recycler perspective: Auto recyclers and salvage operators asked for requirements that preserve state of health and chain of custody for traction batteries removed from end‑of‑life vehicles, warned of orphaned battery costs if manufacturers go out of business, and recommended certification or permitting for facilities handling high‑voltage batteries. Scott Robertson (auto recyclers) and Emil Nussbaum (Automotive Recyclers Association) emphasized reuse, remanufacture and recycling pathways and said practical access to battery condition data is needed.
Battery stewards and recyclers: Redwood Materials and other battery recyclers described commercial capabilities to recover critical minerals and argued the Commonwealth should set guardrails and clarify specialized recycler definitions while avoiding a one‑size‑fits‑all EPR for EV batteries. PRBA (Rechargeable Battery Association) supported portable battery stewardship bills but flagged technical provisions to ensure workable programs.
Consumer battery EPR: Witnesses including municipal and university recycling managers argued a portable battery stewardship program would simplify collection for consumers and reduce dangerous misplacement of lithium cells in household trash and recycling streams. Several stakeholders urged aligning producer responsibility with a practical retail take‑back network and robust consumer education.
Next steps: The committee accepted testimony and written comments; sponsors and stakeholders asked for further drafting to clarify producer responsibilities, orphan battery provisions and facility certification criteria. No vote was taken at the hearing.
Source: Testimony from fire chiefs, recyclers, auto industry and battery manufacturers to the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Oct. 12, 2025.
