West Central Iowa Solid Waste is offering new ways for area residents to dispose of potentially hazardous batteries after the landfill in Carroll experienced another large fire last weekend. Fires in the landfill are becoming more and more frequent, and Director, Mary Wittry, says the increase can be attributed to modern lithium batteries.
Two of the three most recent fires at the landfill were caused by improper battery disposal. Landfill staff were unable to determine the cause of the third, but Wittry suspects it was also started by a damaged lithium battery. These fires are dangerous on their own but can pose potential health risks to the community when certain materials are caught in the blaze, such as the one last weekend.