A fresh look at North America’s coastal wetlands highlights the importance of the ecosystem in our own backyard: Elkhorn Slough. New camera-trap research and ongoing restoration offer rare insight and real optimism for the future of this landscape.
Elkhorn Slough
Coverage of Elkhorn Slough, just south of the Santa Cruz-Monterey county line.
Posted inLatest News
One year after massive fire at Moss Landing battery storage facility, nearby residents have more questions than answers
People who live near Moss Landing still have more questions than answers about the massive fire that started Jan. 16, 2025, at the world’s second-largest battery storage facility.
Posted inLatest News
Un año después del incendio masivo en la instalación de almacenamiento de baterías de Moss Landing, los residentes cercanos tienen más preguntas que respuestas
Las personas que viven cerca de Moss Landing aún tienen más preguntas que respuestas sobre el incendio masivo que comenzó el 16 de enero de 2025 en la segunda instalación de almacenamiento de baterías más grande del mundo.
Posted inLatest News
Independent study reveals heavy metals near Elkhorn Slough after Moss Landing fire
A study from researchers at San Jose State University’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories estimates that nearly 55,000 pounds of heavy metals were dumped into soil near Elkhorn Slough following January’s Moss Landing battery fire. It’s the first independent study of the fire’s impacts published in a scientific journal.
Posted inLatest News
Too cute for comfort? Santa Cruz’s sea otters might have a publicity problem
As surfer-otter run-ins continue, researchers say people, not otters, are responsible. Human development has left Santa Cruz’s sea otters with nowhere to go, forcing them to get comfortable with people.
Posted inLatest News
In Moss Landing, activist Erin Brockovich finds a community searching for answers to battery facility fire
Erin Brockovich, whose environmental activism inspired an Oscar-winning film, is serving as a liaison between Moss Landing residents and attorneys in a mass action lawsuit over the January battery storage facility fire. Brockovich joined the lawsuit after receiving dozens of emails from concerned residents. In an interview, she said the Moss Landing community is determined to seek answers.
Posted inLatest News
Public outcry grows as residents urge Santa Cruz County to halt battery proposal amid Moss Landing disaster
One month after a lithium-ion battery storage facility just south of the Santa Cruz-Monterey county line erupted into a dayslong blaze that sent plumes of toxic smoke into the air, residents from across Santa Cruz County say they are frustrated by the lack of information and engagement they’ve received from the local government. On Tuesday, several residents demanded a town hall meeting, and vocally opposed any progress on a lithium-ion battery storage facility proposed for outside Watsonville.
Posted inLatest News
Moss Landing fire: Santa Cruz County tests see no elevated health risks; survey aims to gather info from residents
Santa Cruz County has completed environmental testing to gauge the Moss Landing battery plant fire’s impact on local air, water, soil and agriculture, it announced Friday. While results show that there are “significantly lower” levels of metal in Santa Cruz County than in neighboring Monterey, both counties are circulating a survey to gather data from residents.
Posted inLatest News
Moss Landing battery plant fire reignites, but is under control, fire chief says
The fire at the Vistra Corp. lithium-ion battery storage facility in Moss Landing flared again late Tuesday afternoon but has since died down, a North Monterey County fire chief told Lookout on Thursday. Crews will continue monitoring the facility.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
The Moss Landing fire is a wake-up call: Assembly Bill 303 promotes community-centered clean energy
The fire that raged at Moss Landing’s lithium-ion battery storage facility on Jan. 16 are a stark reminder of the risks communities take when placing projects in their districts. Assemblymember Dawn Addis has proposed legislation – AB 303, the Battery Energy Safety and Accountability Act – which would create commonsense siting requirements for potentially hazardous battery energy storage systems. She makes the case for the bill here.