The shutdown of Interstate 95 on Tuesday has showcased the need for legislation surrounding the transportation of lithium ion batteries.
According to ABC 13 , the September 17th accident forced the closure of I-95 outside of Las Vegas from about 12 a.m. until just before 6:30 p.m. – a considerably shorter closure than the I-15 accident in California back in July that resulted in “thermal runaway” and shut down the roadway for 44 hours.
Now, Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus has proposed legislation intended to reduce the number of ‘thermal runaway’ fires caused by the transportation of lithium ion batteries.
“[Tuesday’s] accident and fire on U.S. 95 involving a truck carrying lithium-ion batteries underscores the urgency for Congress to act on the ‘Thermal Runaway Reduction Act’, legislation I introduced last week in response to a similar accident on Interstate 15 in July. Without better regulation of the transport of these batteries, it is only a matter of time before these accidents and resulting fires take human lives. Furthermore, the resulting road closures and the amount of water needed to extinguish these fires have significant impacts on resources in our region. Congress needs to act quickly to enact live-saving regulations,” Titus said to 8 News Now .