EPA expands testing near Fredericktown, Mo., battery factory fire

In a statement Friday, the EPA said it is conducting 24-hour air monitoring for volatile organic compounds, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, lower explosive limit and particulates following the fire at Critical Mineral Recovery near Fredericktown.

Since the fire broke out Wednesday, the EPA said, only particulate matter levels have exceeded the agency’s action level. That happened immediately north of the plant as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze on Wednesday, but it has not occurred again, the agency said.

The EPA did not immediately provide the sampling results referenced in its statement.

Residents were encouraged to keep their windows closed and turn off air conditioning.

“Although smoke from the remaining fire has diminished since initial fire and firefighting efforts, EPA encourages individuals to avoid smoke plumes from this fire,” the EPA said.

On Wednesday, Critical Mineral Recovery’s website said the Fredericktown plant was one of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery processing facilities. It processes electric vehicle and consumer grade batteries to recover valuable metals including copper, nickel, cobalt, lithium, manganese and aluminum. Those recycled materials can be used to build new batteries.

At the time of the fire, the company’s site said it “probably had the most advanced automated and remotely monitored and controlled fire suppression systems in the world.”

The website was down on Friday.

Kevin Jones, a public information officer for the Fredericktown Fire Department, said Thursday that the entire building was affected by the fire and had severe structural damage. No workers at the plant were injured, Jones said, nor were any firefighters.

Thursday evening, the department said in a statement that it was working to extinguish the remaining fire and said the smoke was now “intermittent with pockets of smoldering debris.”

Jones could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

It is not yet clear what caused the fire.

Fredericktown R-1 Schools kept students inside Thursday, according to the district’s Facebook page, but canceled classes Friday. The district said in a post Friday morning that it was not closing due to air quality concerns, but rather “out of an abundance of caution” as further firefighting efforts were expected.