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Passaic adopts ordinance tightening retail rules for lithium-ion batteries after fire concerns
Summary
The council approved Ordinance 24-81-25 to require certified batteries, secure retail storage and disposal protocols after officials cited repeated fire responses to noncertified batteries used in e-bikes and other devices.
The Passaic City Council on May 6 adopted an ordinance (24-81-25) that the administration said is intended to reduce fire risks from noncertified lithium-ion batteries sold or stored at retail locations.
Fire department and administration representatives told the council that the city had responded to multiple incidents in which makeshift or non-UL batteries ignited. The ordinance requires retailers to sell only certified batteries (UL or equivalent), use designated storage and charging safeguards, maintain specialized storage units for batteries, and follow procedures for disposal and removal of defective batteries.
During the public hearing, council members and members of the public asked whether the ordinance would regulate residential charging in apartment buildings. The mayor and the business administrator said the ordinance is aimed primarily at retail storage, sales and disposal, not at policing private residential charging behavior, although keeping noncertified batteries out of the supply chain would reduce the number present in homes. Officials said separate measures could be considered later if needed.
The ordinance passed by roll call that evening; the council recorded affirmative votes from members present. The administration said the ordinance was vetted by the city attorney and structured to address a recognized hazard: "Unregistered lithium batteries pose a real danger as they spontaneously combust and go into flames," a city speaker said in the hearing.
Ending: The city clerk will publish the adopted ordinance and the fire department will monitor incidents and report enforcement needs and outcomes to the administration.
