COVINGTON, Ga. — The mayor of Covington says a battery recycling plant, which was the scene of a fire Thursday, has been beset with problems and poses a risk to her community.
The fire was the 14th incident firefighters responded to since the plant opened in March 2023, the city’s fire chief said.
“I’m extremely worried about the ongoing problems,” Mayor Fleeta Baggett said about the Ascend Elements plant near Alcovy Road and I-20.
Firefighters were called to a fire around 8:30 a.m. Thursday.
It burned a truck trailer loaded with used lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles.
Crews kept the flames from spreading into a warehouse filled with batteries waiting to be recycled.
Covington Fire Chief Joe Doss said the fire engulfed the warehouse, I-20 would have to shut down and everyone within a mile radius of the plant would be under an evacuation order.
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“Just glad that this didn’t turn out to be anything worse than what it already was,” he said. “This is a major concern for the city of Covington and for the fire department.”
He said 14 incidents in less than two years is concerning.
“And we are actively working with Ascend to try and figure out the best way to get this under control, and to alleviate or eliminate several of these causes,” he said.
Plant manager Andrew Gardner said not all of the 14 incidents were fires, noting that every incident was contained and resulted in no injuries.
“What we’re dealing with here has hazards,” he said. “But we’re gonna mitigate those hazards and we’re gonna run a safe operation here at these facilities.”
He said his company is working closely with city officials to prevent fires and other emergencies.
“It’s a newer industry, so there are always challenges,” he said. “That’s why we’re working closely with the fire departments and the communities and the regulatory authorities.”
Doss said the fire Thursday was the biggest at the plant since it opened in March 2023.
Company officials said the plant is one of the largest electric vehicle recycling plants in North America.
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