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DPW Warns of Hazardous E‑Bike Batteries, Details Snowstorm Cleanup
Summary
Springfield Township DPW described growing disposal costs and safety risks from lithium‑ion e‑bike batteries and summarized a major storm response (roughly 35 crew hours, ~50 tons of salt, school drop‑off clearing), and said staff will pursue policy options.
Township public works staff told the Springfield Township Committee that lithium‑ion batteries removed from e‑bikes are creating recurring hazardous‑materials problems and disposal costs.
DPW and other staff described incidents in which e‑bike batteries caught fire and required county hazmat teams to overpack the cells into 55‑gallon steel drums. "To get rid of a 55gallon drum is roughly $2 to $3,000," a staff member said, adding that hazmat teams typically leave the overpacked drum with the homeowner rather than hauling it away. Officials said they will investigate registration, billing and other policy steps to avoid bearing disposal costs.
The administrator and DPW also briefed the committee about a recently completed municipal CCTV camera project covering town hall, the municipal building, police, DPW, the pool and the fire department.
On the recent intense winter storm, DPW head Robert Betcher (also called "Robbie" in the meeting) thanked crews for long shifts and described the operational response: crews covered all 220+ streets with two to three plows per zone, had roads passable by 8 a.m. on Monday, moved to sidewalks, bus stops and park areas, and staged a 2 a.m. operation to clear a school drop‑off area. Betcher said roughly 50 tons of salt were used and crews logged about 35 hours on the event. He urged residents and businesses not to push snow into streets where it will be re‑plowed into unsafe ice.
Officials discussed brine versus salt application, noting brine is most useful before initial precipitation but is costly; the township currently pays about $73 per ton for salt. Staff said they will follow up on options to manage hazardous e‑bike batteries, potential cost recovery and public education about safe use and storage.
