EV Batteries’ Chemical Risks to US Workers Rising as Plants Grow

The calls to the Lordstown, Ohio, fire department began trickling in shortly after a new electric vehicle battery plant—a joint venture between LG Energy Solution and General Motors Co.—opened in August 2022 in nearby Warren.

Fires from overheated cells. Inhalation of chemical fumes. Acid spills potent enough to eat through flesh and bone.

When the company, Ultium Cells LLC, invited firefighters for a meeting at the plant, chief Travis Eastham thought they would be getting information on how to handle chemical injuries.

Instead, “we sat through an infomercial on why you should go electric,” Eastham said. “It was kind ...