Sunday Special: Citizens Stand Up For Their Community in Piqua

A Battery Burning Site on Public Land is Exposed as a Hazard to Community Health

Battery burning operation in Piqua. Photo Credit: WKEF Television

Over the last week, the amount of local stories dealing with local government and how citizens are responding have simply been too numerous to mention. It has been a bit of a challenge to keep up with everything that is happening and it has caused the publication schedule to really hit an accelerated pace. This publication, which has tried to provide information to readers once every three days, is now pushing out a publication for the third straight day. That is probably a rate that can’t be sustained into the future.

However, today’s story has particular relevance. First, the story is dynamic and quickly changing. The account of what has happened up to this point will only get richer as time goes on. Second, it’s truly story of how civic capacity works; it’s a story of residents coming together to demand change and how a community is responding by making those positive changes.

In the end, it’s a story worth telling and I am honored to have the opportunity to tell it.

The First Voice Speaks

Towards the end of the September 5th meeting of the Piqua City Commission, a resident, Jeff Grimes, expressed deep concerns and frustrations regarding the lack of information and transparency surrounding the burning of lithium-ion batteries on publicly owned land in the community.

A central point of contention in Mr. Grimes’ public comments was the perception that the City Commission had not been attentive or responsive to the community's concerns. The resident asserted that concerns had not been properly addressed, leading to a sense of frustration and neglect among residents. One such point was around the issue of air monitoring, which was the particular focus of his public comments. The resident claimed that despite assurances of air monitoring being conducted, they had not observed any evidence of such monitoring taking place. This raised doubts about the veracity of the information provided by the city and other public authorities.

Mr. Grimes also mentioned a specific observation: a building in the vicinity with visible signs of pollution. He described residents seeing black emissions emanating from its doors, suggesting that the pollution levels might have reached a point where the building's infrastructure was visibly impacted. This observation added weight to the argument that battery-related activities in the area were at the very least, problematic.

Furthermore, Mr. Grimes highlighted how close these battery burning activities were to critical community resources. Swift Run, one of the city’s drinking water sources, the bike path, the dog park, Johnston Farm and the cemetery were all mentioned as areas that could potentially be adversely affected by the emissions resulting from the battery burning related activities.

The resident underscored the insidious nature of air pollution, explaining that once pollutants are released into the air, they can be carried by the wind, infiltrating the soil and posing a long-term environmental hazard. To emphasize his point, he referenced a recent incident in East Palestine where a train derailment led to fires, but few measures were taken to protect and assist the affected residents, implying that similar negligence could occur in their community.

Mr. Grimes argued that the Commission's role is to represent and protect the interests of the people, yet it seemed that their voices had fallen on deaf ears. These well-delivered public comments conveyed a sense of frustration, bewilderment, and urgency and implored the Commission to heed the concerns of the community and act in their best interests.

Ultimately, these public comments not only served as a passionate and critical call to action, urging the City Commission to take meaningful steps to address the community's concerns regarding the battery burning activities, these comments became a flash point to mobilize other citizens to learn more about what was occuring and express more concerns at the next City Commission Meeting.

Residents Voice More Concerns over Battery Burning

At the September 19th meeting of the Piqua City Commission, members of the commission found themselves listning to the concerns of residents about the battery burning issue. iver.

Residents, long-time and new, came together to question the necessity and safety of these battery burns. Debbie Stein, a long-time Piqua resident, raised a poignant question, "Can I just ask you something, why do you want to have these burns in our community?"

Scott Phillips, a life-long Piqua resident, made his appeal saying, "Please do the right thing. But, after five years of research, I think the fire department has figured out how to put out these battery fires.”

Background: Battery Burning at the Piqua Fire Department Training Facility

The controversial testing involving lithium-ion batteries at the Piqua Fire Department Training Facility began in 2018 and City officials also readily admitted that the testing and burning of batteries at the site have increased over the past few months. The training facility is located at the former site of the Piqua Municipal Water System and the city was receiving $500 a month in rent and $600 per battery burning episode from ESRG, Energy Safety Response Group, the company the leases the facility for battery burning operations.

City officials also asserted that the training facility underwent a rigorous permitting process, had safety measures reviewed, and consulted with the Regional Air Control Agency, ultimately securing approval for these tests. However, this assurance does little to quell the concerns of residents living in close proximity to the facility, especially when it is revealed that the operation may have been burning batteries under the wrong type of permit.

Phillips, who measured the distance from the burns to a canal that feeds into the city's drinking water reservoir, stated, "It's 312 feet to the canal." This proximity to essential water sources raises alarm among residents.

Piqua City Commissioner Chris Grissom acknowledged the community's concerns, saying, "Over the past five years, I haven't heard a single complaint as commissioner on what the issues were." However, the recent surge in community voices demanding answers suggested a growing unease and demands for action could not easily be ignored.

Brian Hampshire, the owner of Hampshire Cabinetry in Piqua, shared the economic and health impact on his business due to the fumes emanating from these battery burnings. His business had to close twice as a result of the environmental consequences, emphasizing the far-reaching effects of the issue.

During the meeting Piqua Vice Mayor Kris Lee hinted at a potential change, stating, "I think it's time to stop the burning of the lithium-ion batteries, at least until our meeting with the Ohio EPA on Thursday, September 21." At the conclusion of the Tuesday meeting, Piqua Mayor Cindy Pearson expressed her gratitude for the residents' vocal concerns. She said to WKEF television, "I'm just emotional tonight about this because I was not aware of it and I'm so thankful that these people came out tonight."

The Authorites Come to Town

On September 21st, City officials met with officials of the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency (RAPCA) and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Vice Mayor Kris Lee was reported to state to WKEF television after the meeting that the Ohio EPA has revoked the permit for the battery burning operation. However, the Ohio EPA didn’t confirm that news and simply stated: "Ohio EPA and the Regional Air Control Agency (RAPCA) met with Piqua city officials today to better understand the battery burning process happening onsite, evaluate compliance and whether any permits are needed if this activity is to continue. Ohio EPA and RAPCA are waiting on more information from the company in order to evaluate the next steps.”

The story quickly changed and the residents advocating for their community could celebrate an important milestone. During the late afternoon of Friday, September 22nd, the City of Piqua made the following announcement:

While this is good news for the community, it is not clear whether this the end of this story, or simply the beginning of a new chapter. Regardless, this publication will continue to keep you updated on this developing story as new information becomes available.

In Case You Missed It!

Earlier this week, our publication announced that it is collecting responses for its quarterly citizens survey. This presents an opportunity to share your thoughts and opinions on your hometown, and the results will be featured in a future edition of this newsletter! Learn more by reading this short post:

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