George Kerchner Appointed to Key Federal and State Advisory Groups for Lithium Battery Industry

October 17, 2019

Washington, DC—Wiley Rein senior regulatory analyst George A. Kerchner, a member of the firm’s Environment & Product Regulation Practice who also serves as Executive Director of PRBA – The Rechargeable Battery Association, has been named to serve in two key roles advising federal and state agencies on legislative and regulatory matters impacting the safe transport of lithium ion batteries and the recycling of automotive lithium ion batteries.

First, the U.S. Department of Transportation invited Mr. Kerchner to serve a two-year term on its Lithium Battery Safety Advisory Committee. This Advisory Committee was established by the 2018 Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act. It consists of 20 individuals from a range of industries and government agencies. The Committee is expected to provide the Secretary of Transportation with information and recommendations on new lithium battery technology, the safe transport of lithium batteries by air, and improving airline passenger awareness related to the safe handling of lithium batteries.

Second, the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) appointed Mr. Kerchner to its Lithium-Ion Car Battery Recycling Advisory Group. That Advisory Group was established in accordance with the 2018 California law known as AB 2832. It is expected to prepare policy recommendations to maximize safe and cost-effective recycling efforts for end-of-life lithium ion vehicle batteries. The Advisory Group will develop its recommendations between now and April 2022 in consultation with universities and research institutions, manufacturers of electric and hybrid vehicles, and the battery recycling industry.

In addition to counseling individual companies on compliance issues, Mr. Kerchner is recognized worldwide for his knowledge of regulatory schemes governing the transportation of batteries, portable electronic devices, and electric vehicles.

Wiley Rein’s Environment & Product Regulation Team, chaired by Tracy Heinzman, is intimately familiar with the complex regulations that govern domestic and international shipments of hazardous materials and dangerous goods and the recycling of those products.  It also has strong experience defending enforcement actions and participating in related regulatory and legislative arenas. The firm regularly interfaces with pertinent state, federal and international regulatory authorities, including the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a number of California and other state agencies, the UN Subcommittee of Experts on the Transportation of Dangerous Goods that establishes international dangerous goods regulations, the International Air Transport Association, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the International Maritime Organization.