Cleanup Ordered After Battery Fire at San Diego Energy Storage Facility

Following a large lithium-ion battery fire, the EPA has ordered Gateway Energy Storage to manage environmental cleanup and monitoring efforts at its San Diego site.

• By Stasia DeMarco
• Jul 08, 2025

The EPA has settled with Gateway Energy Storage, LLC, to conduct a full environmental cleanup following a lithium-ion battery fire at the company’s energy storage facility in San Diego.

The fire, which began on May 15, 2024, involved 14,800 nickel-manganese-cobalt lithium-ion batteries. It continued to flare intermittently until May 28. The incident prompted environmental concerns due to the potential for fire, explosion, and chemical release from the damaged batteries.

“Calling a technology ‘green energy’ does not mean there are no environmental impacts,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Josh F.W. Cook. “I am alarmed by the incidents and impacts of utility-grade battery fires on first responders, specifically the professional firefighters who are exposed to horrible, toxic conditions when batteries catch fire. This settlement action is a step in the right direction, but the broader battery storage fire issue requires additional attention and EPA enforcement.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Gateway Energy Storage is required to:

• Conduct environmental monitoring during all battery handling activities.
• Remove, package, and dispose of all affected battery modules.
• Submit detailed work plans and progress updates to the EPA.

The company has been identified as a responsible party under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and is required to fully fund the cleanup effort.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Cleanup oversight will continue until the EPA determines that the site no longer poses a risk to public health or the environment.