Supervisors push for local soil, water testing after Moss Landing battery fire

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday raised questions about the environmental, health and safety impacts of the Jan. 16 fire at a 300-megawatt battery storage facility in Moss Landing, and directed county staff to help with soil and water testing nearly two weeks after the blaze. 

The board received a presentation from officials from neighboring Monterey County and Brad Watson, senior director of community affairs for Vistra Corp. — which owns the Moss Landing facility — during Tuesday’s meeting. Kelsey Scanlon, director of emergency management for Monterey County, provided an overview of the fire and the county’s response to the incident just south of the Santa Cruz County line.

Vistra is currently conducting its own investigation on the fire and how it started, said Watson. He said it’s still unclear when the company will determine the cause of the blaze. Vistra is also providing gift cards to families affected by local evacuation orders. 

Dr. Lisa Hernandez, Santa Cruz County’s top health officer, said three individuals visited local emergency rooms experiencing smoke-related symptoms, but none was admitted for care. Residents experiencing systems can call county health authorities at 831-454-4114, she said. 

The fire broke out on Jan. 16 at Vistra’s Moss Landing Power Plant, one of the largest battery storage facilities in the county, and burned for days. The blaze led to evacuation orders for areas south of Elkhorn Slough and closed part of Highway 1 around the facility. 

Evacuations have since been lifted. Monterey County officials have said there are no immediate health risks, while some residents who attended Tuesday’s meeting said they were experiencing exposure symptoms, such as headaches, sore throat and metallic taste in their mouths. 

“Fortunately, no one was hurt. But this event has left a lot of questions in the minds of many, and I think a lot of questions for our board, as well, as they make future decisions,” said District 4 Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez. 

Hernandez also reiterated that Tuesday’s report from Scanlon and Watson focused solely on the fire at the Moss Landing battery storage facility, not a proposed 200-megawatt facility in Watsonville. A supervisors vote on that project still has a long way to go, he said, due to potential rezoning, environmental review and the permitting process.  

District 1 Supervisor Manu Koenig said Scanlon’s presentation did not address questions about high concentrations of heavy metals in nearby soil and concerns about hydrogen fluoride — a toxic chemical released by lithium battery fires. 

Earlier this week, researchers from San Jose State University’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories said they found high levels of nickel, cobalt and manganese in soil at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve adjacent to the battery storage facility. The materials are all extremely toxic to aquatic and land animals, including humans. 

Other than what has been shared in a news release by Monterey County, the data collected by SJSU Geological Oceanography Department chair Ivano Aiello and his team at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories is currently unavailable to the public, nor has Monterey County received that data, said Scanlon.  

Koenig questioned whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the Monterey Bay Air Resources District had tested for heavy metals, like the ones detected at the Elkhorn Slough. The EPA and Vistra’s third-party investigator, CTEH, primarily focused on monitoring levels of hydrogen fluoride — a toxic pollutant associated with battery fire emissions from lithium battery fires — in the air. 

Last week, Monterey County officials said the fire did not affect air quality in the area and posed no health risks, amid concerns from residents. 

Koenig suggested the Santa Cruz County do its own soil and water testing on agricultural land in South County, just a few miles north of the Moss Landing battery storage facility, to determine any contamination. Scanlon said a state-led task force has started conducting water, soil and dust sampling in Monterey County. 

District 3 Supervisor Justin Cummings suggested Vistra should help pay for county staff to assist with testing, as the fire was not the county’s fault. “If Santa Cruz County is going to engage in [testing], it’s important that we don’t bear the cost, given that this was not our fault,” he said. 

The five-member board unanimously voted to direct county staff to help with data collection within Santa Cruz County. It was not clear exactly how county staff will help with testing efforts. 

Koenig also suggested there should be a local ordinance developed to regulate battery storage facilities in the future. Currently, the county doesn’t have an ordinance to regulate these types of facilities, but there is state legislation, Assembly Bill 205, that establishes a permitting process for renewable energy projects, like a battery storage facility. Creating an ordinance would give the county a more direct control over potential projects in the future, he said. 

The board of supervisors had already asked county staff to work on a local law and potential changes to the county’s General Plan — a blueprint outlining the county’s vision for future development — related to energy storage, said Koening. Staff are scheduled to present proposed changes to the board on April 25, but can request a delay if new information about the Moss Landing fire becomes available. 

The board also voted to urge the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to conduct an independent investigation into the Moss Landing fire — the CPUC announced Monday afternoon that it has initiated an investigation — along with requesting that the California Energy Commission evaluate energy battery storage systems throughout the state, and consider requiring the safety improvements to prevent similar incidents. 

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