After 16 months of legal proceedings, Metro Site Fabricators, the Georgia-based recycling company, and SK Battery America, the subsidiary of South Korean battery giant SK Group, finalised a $31 million legal settlement. It compensates Metro for damages after a fire in 2023 that destroyed an entire recycling plant.
According to Scott Ledford, owner of Metro, the reason for the fire was improper handling of lithium-ion battery scrap by SK Battery. The 200 batteries short-circuited after disposal and caused a thermal runway. The fire spread to the rest of the plant and left just soot and damaged constructions. Bo Hatchett, a state senator and attorney, said Banks County used more than three million gallons of water over five days to extinguish the blaze.
Ledford said the Metro Site is not permitted to handle batteries among its recyclables and did not know it had received them. Normally, battery scrap is separated from other waste due to the risks of self-ignition.
SK Battery spokesperson Joe Guy Collier said: “SK Battery America has acted responsibly, taking action more than a year ago by adding an extra layer of oversight to the disposal of unused material at the site. The agreement between SK Battery America and Metro Site provides a generous settlement for Metro Site to rebuild and relaunch its business.”
A second lawsuit is still pending between SK Battery and Banks County government. Hatchett said during the blaze Banks County had to take “extraordinary measures” to protect government property because the Metro site was right next to a water treatment facility and a fire station.
As part of the litigation, Ledford reportedly rejected a non-disclosure agreement so he could discuss his case and help other operators better prepare for fire hazards.
