Recent Fire Highlights Urgent Need for Community Action
(Firefighters work alongside landfill staff to contain a fire at the Chautauqua County Landfill in Ellery on November 3, 2024. Image by Chautauqua County Emergency Services.)
ELLERY, NY – Chautauqua County’s landfill managers are urging residents to help prevent dangerous fires by properly disposing of rechargeable batteries. A recent fire at the county landfill in Ellery—swiftly contained by firefighters and landfill staff—highlights the critical need for safe battery recycling to protect public safety.
“Rechargeable batteries, especially Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs), can cause fires in waste facilities if they’re thrown out with regular trash,” said Aaron Gustafson, Landfill Manager and Deputy Director of Public Facilities. “Our landfill team has been working hard to keep these fires contained, but we need the public’s help to make sure batteries are disposed of safely to avoid putting lives at risk. This issue extends beyond waste management—many residential fires in Chautauqua County have also been caused by rechargeable batteries, underscoring the importance of proper use, storage, and disposal in homes to ensure safety.”
These fires, often sparked by improperly discarded rechargeable batteries, pose a threat to waste facility employees, the environment, and general public safety. Gustafson emphasized the importance of preventing battery-related fires to maintain essential waste management services, adding, “We’re seeing the effects firsthand—fires at waste facilities are becoming more common, causing delays, raising costs, and straining our community resources.”
What You Can Do: Dispose of Batteries Safely
Rechargeable batteries, particularly Lithium-Ion Batteries found in many household devices, should never be disposed of with regular trash. Instead, residents are encouraged to bring used rechargeable batteries to designated drop-off locations.
To ensure batteries are handled safely, New York State law (Environmental Conservation Chapter 43-B, Article 27, Title 18) mandates that retailers who sell rechargeable batteries offer collection services for used ones. Battery manufacturers are also required to cover the cost of recycling collected rechargeable batteries.
For more information on the law, visit: nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ENV/27-1807