Lithium-ion batteries are frequent culprits of landfill fires. A bill that would ban disposal of them – and the electronic devices that often contain them – in New Hampshire landfills and incinerators is headed to the governor’s desk. The Legislature gave its final approval to House Bill 1386, agreeing to changes to the bill made during a committee of conference.
Current law already bans the disposal of yard waste and wet-cell batteries, commonly used in cars, in landfills and incinerators. It also prohibits some electronic waste, including “video display devices, central processing units of computers, and video display media recorders/players.” This measure, if approved by the governor, would ban a number of additional items, including:
- Lithium-ion batteries;
- Wireless telephones;
- Printers;
- Copiers;
- Fax machines; and
- Computer accessories, such as keyboards, mice, video cameras and speakers, external hard drives, memory storage devices, and scanners.
The bill would also require owners and operators of these facilities to take steps to prevent the disposal of the batteries and electronics. That includes posting informational signs or providing written notice of the ban.