VIDEO: As lithium-ion battery fires continue to break out across New York City, Congressman Ritchie Torres is proposing new legislation to establish safety standards at the federal level.
Torres, a Democrat representing parts of the Bronx, says that the proposal is aimed at preventing fires like the five-alarm inferno that tore through a borough supermarket on Sunday when an e-bike battery burst into flames. That blaze left seven people injured and took more than 200 firefighters to extinguish. The legislation would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish federal safety standards for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in personal mobility devices, like e-bikes. Torres is set to introduce the legislation Tuesday morning.