EPA announces settlement over cleanup of 2024 Otay Mesa battery facility fire

A Cal Fire robot checks for toxic fumes after the fire last year Photo courtesy of Cal Fire The U S Environmental Protection Agency stated Monday it has reached a settlement with the company that operates an Otay Mesa strength storage facility that caught fire last year The settlement with Gateway Resource Storage concerns cleanup efforts in connection with the lithium-ion battery fire that broke out on May and lasted nearly two weeks due to flare-ups at the site No injuries were released in connection with the blaze The settlement does not involve a monetary component but rather imposes requirements that Gateway take comprehensive safety measures and monitoring to protect nearby residents and workers during the cleanup process the EPA mentioned Cleanup efforts remain ongoing and are being overseen by the EPA local firefighting agencies and the San Diego County leadership Gateway will also be required to conduct environmental monitoring during its battery handling operations and submit progress reports to the EPA Calling a system green power does not mean there are no environmental impacts This is an issue of growing concern EPA Pacific Southwest Region Administrator Josh F W Cook revealed in a declaration I am alarmed by the incidents and impacts of utility grade battery fires on first responders specifically the professional firefighters who are exposed to horrible toxic conditions when batteries catch fire This settlement action is a step in the right direction but the broader battery storage fire issue requires additional attention and EPA enforcement