A watchdog investigation has found that Evergreen Battery Recycling held hazardous batteries at its facility for years, raising compliance questions over one of the region's battery material recovery operators.

The report, aired by WFMJ, documents that the company stored hazardous batteries on site over an extended period rather than moving them through processing or disposal channels on the timelines regulators expect for hazardous waste streams.

Why long-term battery storage matters

Hazardous batteries — including lithium-based chemistries — carry fire, thermal runaway and leaching risks when stockpiled. Extended accumulation at a recycling facility shifts the site from a processing operation toward a de facto storage operation, a distinction that matters under hazardous waste handling rules.

The watchdog findings put the burden on Evergreen Battery Recycling to demonstrate that its on-site inventory practices meet applicable standards for how long hazardous battery feedstock can sit before it is processed, transferred or disposed of.

What the report alleges

According to the WFMJ investigation, batteries classified as hazardous remained at the company's operation for years. That timeline sits at the center of the story: recycling economics depend on throughput, and feedstock that languishes on site ties up both material and permitted storage capacity.

The report does not allege a release or fire event. Its focus is the duration of custody — how long the operator held hazardous battery material before it moved downstream.

Who is watching

Watchdog reporting of this kind typically precedes or parallels regulatory interest. For a hazardous battery handler, the operative questions are whether the accumulation periods comply with the storage time limits that apply to the facility's status, and whether inspectors have documented violations.

Readers tracking the battery recycling sector should watch for:

• Any enforcement response or inspection findings from the environmental agency with jurisdiction over the site
• Company statements addressing the reported storage durations
• Evidence of throughput changes — volumes moved out, processing rates, or inventory drawdowns

The sector context

Battery recycling capacity is scaling across North America, and operators compete on feedstock security. But inbound volume only counts as circularity when it moves through the plant. Stockpiled hazardous batteries are unprocessed liability, not recovered cobalt, nickel or lithium.

For Evergreen Battery Recycling, the watchdog report frames a straightforward test: either the company can show its battery custody times are within regulatory bounds, or the finding becomes a compliance record that follows the facility.

What happens next

The milestone to watch is regulatory. If the agency overseeing the facility opens an inspection or enforcement file in response to the report, the storage durations move from journalistic finding to documented matter. Absent that, the next verifiable signal will be any company disclosure on inventory levels and processing throughput. Either way, the years-long storage claim is now on the record and trackable against how quickly the material moves.