Hazmat Commission Eyes Battery Fire Ban, CEQA Fix as Forum Planning Ramps Up

Contra Costa County's Hazardous Materials Commission Operations Committee used a sprawling work session to map its policy agenda for the months ahead — locking in a venue for its September public forum, flagging deadly lithium battery fires as a potential county legislative priority, and raising alarms about a state law that weakened environmental review for industrial projects near residential neighborhoods.

• Lithium battery fire safety emerges as potential county priority after fatal e-bike fires in San Francisco and San Jose prompt committee to explore legislation modeled on SF's proposed ban on uncertified batteries
• IBEW Union Hall secured for Sept. 17 public forum, with fee waiver requested as commission navigates zero-budget transition between county departments
• Commissioners flag SB 954, a bill to restore CEQA protections for advanced manufacturing weakened by last year's SB 131, as critical for Carquinez Straits industrial corridor
• Carbon capture, industrial safety, and PFAS remediation speakers lined up for upcoming general commission meetings
• Outreach overhaul planned for September forum after last year's low public turnout

The longest and most heated discussion of the morning centered on lithium-ion battery fires — a growing public safety and hazardous waste crisis that the committee spent nearly 35 minutes examining across multiple angles, including fire science, consumer regulation, disposal logistics, and building egress.