Large Fire, Explosion at Lithium-ion Battery Plant Results in Evacuations
From Powder Bulk Solids
A large fire at a lithium-ion battery processing plant just outside Fredericktown, MO, took place around 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 30, 2024.
Smoke could be seen rising from Critical Mineral Recovery, a company that recycles lithium-ion batteries and related materials.
Anyone within the smoke plume, which wind was carrying north of the fire, was urged to shelter in place indoors by closing windows and doors and turning off air conditioning.
Madison County 911 posted on Facebook around 2 p.m. on behalf of the county sheriff’s office telling residents north and west of Fredericktown to leave the area.
The post says, “If you can see or smell smoke in this area, you need to evacuate!”
Fredericktown Fire Department, Cherokee Pass Fire Protection District, Madison County Ambulance District, Fredericktown Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and Missouri State Highway Patrol were attending the blaze.
There were no reported injuries at the time of the reports.
Around 7:45 p.m., an emergency dispatcher told The Independent crews were still fighting the fire.
The 225,000-sq.-ft Critical Mineral Recovery battery processing plant in Fredericktown is headquartered in St. Louis, MO.
In a press release in November 2023, which announced the launch of the battery plant, CMR reported it would discharge up to 250 tons of lithium-ion batteries per day, process up to 6,000 tons per month, and send up to 99% of incoming battery contained nickel, cobalt, lithium, and copper to refineries and smelters for post-processing and critical mineral recovery.
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