PIQUA — Energy Storage Response Group LLC (ERSG) has agreed to immediately cease operations at the Piqua Public Safety Training Center.

ESRG will vacate the site in the next 60 days, as mutually agreed with the city, according the city of Piqua’s Facebook page which was posted on Friday, Sept. 22.

ESRG received an open burn permit in 2018 with the city of Piqua to perform destructive testing on generators and electric vehicle batteries. ESRG conducts its testing at the old water treatment plant at 9300 state Route 66.

During a Sept. 19 Piqua City Commission meeting, numerous Piqua residents packed in the commission chambers to express concern over lithium battery testing by ESRG and potential resulting health/environmental consequences.

Also located at the former water treatment plant site, is a new “Burn Building,” a “live fire” training building for fire suppression evolutions incorporating search, rescue, and ventilation skills, for the Piqua Fire Department. This building was announced near the beginning of September.

The announcement for ESRG to vacate comes after the Piqua Commission meeting, and also after a site inspection and technical meeting held by the Regional Air Control Agency and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency at the Piqua Fire Training Facility on Sept. 21.