The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently requested that one of the nation’s largest transit systems, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), report on practices for storing decommissioned Proterra electric buses.

The inquiry follows many battery fire incidents in decommissioned electric buses with lithium-ion batteries in storage. It includes a June 5 incident in SEPTA’s Midvale/Roberts yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when a fire involving a decommissioned electric bus with a lithium-ion battery ignited. The fire destroyed 40 SEPTA buses and triggered air-quality warnings.

In a letter to SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer, FTA requested the following information:

• Documentation on the storage and handling protocols for decommissioned electric buses and lithium-ion battery packs.

• A summary of what additional safety procedures for storage during these decommissioning periods would decrease the likelihood of crisis scenarios.

“This is not the first green deal initiative to backfire with serious long-term ramifications, bringing into question how safe and efficient these investments are,” said FTA Administrator Marc Molinaro. “We will investigate what steps can be taken to avoid the public safety risk caused by these vehicles and work to ensure proper safety protocols are in place.”