Jamestown, Ohio-Nine contractors working at the Jeffersonville L-H battery plant drove themselves to the Miami Valley Hospital Jamestown Emergency Center at about 1 a.m. on Friday, causing the emergency department to temporarily shut down, according to local officials.
The workers used the toilet facilities while waiting for a medical assessment in the waiting area. Silver Creek Fire Chief Steve Payton (Steve Payton) said when he was reported to be present to assist that the officers had symptoms such as dyspnea, nausea, headache, skin rash and nosebleeds. All the persons involved received medical treatment and were released.
Caroline Ramsey, L-H Battery's external relations and communications representative, said construction work in the affected area had been suspended for now. Ramsey said in a statement: "During March 19 and 20, a small group of construction contractors working at our facility sought local medical assessments. We are currently investigating the specific area where they worked and have temporarily suspended construction activities in that area as a matter of prudence. The safety and health of our employees and contractors remains our primary concern."
Ethan Raby, director of the Greene County Emergency Management Agency, said he had advised emergency departments to follow decontamination procedures to ensure public safety. Peyton and Rabbi also recommended that hospitals temporarily close their emergency rooms for cleaning. Officials pointed out that given the variety of symptoms, authorities could not immediately determine whether the cause was an airborne substance or a chemical pollutant.
Payton said he was informed of the situation by Jeffersontown Fire Chief Bill Gillespie. Although Gillespie's department was not dispatched to the scene, the department was briefed by the Fayette County Sheriff's Office.
L-H Battery Company officials said air quality tests conducted over the weekend found no hidden dangers. however, the specific cause of the incident is still under investigation. Melissa Havens, director of the Fayette County Emergency Management Agency, attended a meeting of Fayette County commissioners on Monday but did not discuss the matter.
Background information shows that LG Energy Solutions and Honda Motor Company announced a cooperation agreement in August 2022 to form a joint venture (JV) to produce lithium-ion batteries in the United States and supply Honda and Acura for the North American market. (Acura) branded electric vehicle (EV) models. The $3.5 billion L-H battery company was formally incorporated on January 13, 2023.
On March 12, Honda announced its decision to cancel three electric vehicle models originally planned to be developed and launched in the North American market. The decision stems from a reassessment of the company's vehicle electrification strategy, taking into account recent changes in the business environment. Accordingly, Honda expects to make a loss in its consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ending March 2026 and needs to revise its previously announced financial performance forecast for the fiscal year.
According to Honda, as part of its joint venture with LG Energy Solutions, the two sides are further discussing how to localize the production of hybrid batteries and energy storage systems (ESS) at L-H Battery in Jeffersonville.