Toxco begins fire clean up operations
By Contributor
Note: The following is a press release from Toxco, Inc.
TRAIL, B.C., CANADA (November 9, 2009) – Toxco, Inc. has begun clean up operations from a primary lithium battery fire that occurred in one of the plant’s permitted approved storage building located at the BC site, on the evening of November 7, 2009.
The fire occurred during non operation hours and no one was injured by the incident. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation, however Toxco and Regional Kootenay Fire Officials concur that an internal short in one of the batteries in storage could be a likely cause of the incident.
Property damage from the fire was limited to the battery storage building although sparks did ignite bales of cardboard at a neighboring business that was extinguished.
”Our efforts have primarily been focused on the safety of everybody involved and after consulting with representatives from the Ministry of the Environment, we are confident that the fire will not result in any long-term negative impacts to the air quality and environment of the surrounding area,” said Kathy Bruce, vice president of Toxco, Inc.
Bruce continued to say, “We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to the Kootenay Regional Fire Services and neighboring fire services for their quick and effective response to this incident. Senior members of our health and safety management team are already on the scene to assist our Trail team and firefighters in the investigation. Additionally Toxco is pledging resources necessary to assure a safe and expeditious clean up and we expect to have the fire debris cleaned up over the next week.”
“While this is an unfortunate occurrence we support Toxco’s operation as a global leader in lithium battery recycling” said City of Trail Mayor Dieter Boggs.
“At Toxco Inc. we subscribe to a rigid safety protocol with our first concern for the surrounding community. We pride ourselves in our commitment to a safety regime and environmental integrity,” Bruce added. “Our state-of-the-art remote controlled lithium battery recycling processes are designed to keep personnel at safe distances from hazardous situations. Although this circumstance is unfortunate, a full investigation of the cause is our first priority.”
In business since 1984, Toxco Inc has become the most diverse battery recycling company in the world. Our processes are all based on certified recycling techniques for material recovery. Toxco’s facilities are approved and permitted, operating under strict guidelines from provincial, state and federal environmental protection agencies. Toxco recycles batteries from all over the world including the United States and Canada and is considered a global leader in the field of lithium battery recycling.
