The U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued this week a Safety Advisory Notice for the Disposal and Recycling of Lithium Batteries in Commercial Transportation due to the large number of recent incidents involving shipments of these batteries – many of which were undeclared or the shippers failed to fully comply with the U.S. hazardous…
Read More
The United States Lithium Battery Air Safety Advisory Committee met on May 4, 2022 to continue its work on lithium battery air transport safety. This Federal Advisory Committee meets regularly to provide advice and recommendations to improve on the safe air transport of lithium batteries. PRBA Executive Director George Kerchner and several individuals from PRBA…
Read More
The International Battery Seminar & Exhibit is hosting its 39th annual conference today in Orlando, Florida. The conference integrates representatives across the entire advanced battery ecosystem to engage in discussions regarding battery research and development, battery manufacturing, advanced applications, and breakthroughs in engineering technology. PRBA Executive Director George Kerchner joins the conference once again this year and will host…
Read More
New York City has become the first jurisdiction in the U.S. to adopt new fire code requirements applicable to the storage, handling, and charging of micromobility devices that are generally aligned with the new requirements that will appear in the 2024 International Fire Code (IFC). New York City also expanded these requirements beyond what is…
Read More
The United States Coast Guard issued on March 10, 2022 a “Marine Safety Alert on Lithium Batteries” in response to an August 19, 2021 fire involving a container of undeclared, waste lithium batteries that was en route to a port in Virginia and intended for a maritime voyage to a port in China via a…
Read More
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) battery bill (AB 2440) has been introduced in the California Assembly and focuses on the collection and recycling of portable batteries and electronic devices with embedded batteries. The short, three-page bill – Battery and Battery-Embedded Product Recycling and Fire Risk Reduction Act of 2022 – is a placeholder for what is…
Read More
The U.S. Department of Transportation has agreed that PRBA’s petition for rulemaking on lithium batteries and the Materials of Trade provisions in the U.S. hazardous materials regulations (HMR) merits consideration in a future rulemaking. This means the Agency will consider authorizing larger quantities of lithium batteries to be transported under the Materials of Trade provisions,…
Read More
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued its updated guidance document on the UN38.3 Lithium Battery Test Summary (TS) requirements to assist manufacturers and distributors of lithium batteries and products powered by them with understanding and implementing the TS requirement. PHMSA adopted this requirement as part of its HM-215O…
Read More
Washington state Representatives Harris-Talley and Berry introduced a comprehensive, all-battery bill HB 1896 that would mandate the collection of rechargeable and primary batteries beginning July 1, 2025. The 30-page bill – applicable to “portable,” “medium format,” and “large format” batteries – includes recycling efficiency rates, retailer obligations, and battery labeling requirements. For more information, contact…
Read More
In anticipation of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Dangerous Goods Panel Meeting scheduled for mid-November, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Association (IFALPA) has filed five proposals that would establish new state of charge limits on lithium ion batteries contained in equipment and vehicles when shipped by air. Generally, the proposed limitations would require lithium…
Read More