Council needs help as hazardous waste rules create 410km toxic trek
Amid rising solar storage systems and electric vehicle use, one NSW regional council’s cries expose an emerging waste crisis on fire-damaged lithium battery disposal.
Despite the growing use of solar storage systems and the use of electric vehicles some councils are facing what they say are near-impossible challenges in managing hazardous battery waste.
In particular, The City of Coffs Harbour Council has sounded the alarm over a “prohibitive” state waste management system for fire damaged lithium batteries and the water used to extinguish them.
At council’s latest meeting on Thursday 25 September Councillor George Cecato revealed the nearest legal disposal site is 410 kilometres away in Newcastle, making the process cost ‘prohibitive’.
The issue arises as batteries over 5kWh, such as those used in solar energy storage systems or electric vehicles, are classified as hazardous.
Even the water used to extinguish lithium battery fires is deemed untouchable “liquid waste” and cannot be dealt with by the Englands Road Waste Management Facility.
Mr Cecato put forward a motion passed unanimously to call for state government help via a proposed motion for the Local Government NSW Annual Conference to assist in providing practical cost effective solutions.
The resolved motion mentioned a 2023 incident involving a lithium battery fire which was extinguished but disposal of the damaged battery and water used during fire fighting “had proven problematic to transport and dispose of”.
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