A group of community members filed a lawsuit against Vistra Corp., a Texas-based company that owns the Moss Landing power plant and battery storage facility. The lawsuit demands a full investigation into what caused the fire on Jan. 16, compensation for damages caused by the incident and updating safety and fire prevention measures.
Elkhorn Slough
Coverage of Elkhorn Slough, just south of the Santa Cruz-Monterey county line.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Moss Landing battery fire leads to health fears, evidence of contamination and concerns about overreaction
Residents around the Moss Landing battery facility in northern Monterey County describe experiences of sore throats and other symptoms. The energy storage industry insists that this incident is an extreme outlier.
Posted inLatest News
Supervisors push for local soil, water testing after Moss Landing battery fire
Santa Cruz County supervisors ordered county staff to help with soil and water testing in South County after a fire at a nearby Moss Landing battery storage facility caused high levels of toxic heavy metal contamination at nearby Elkhorn Slough and local residents complained of exposure symptoms.
Posted inLatest News
High levels of toxic heavy metals found in soil at Elkhorn Slough Reserve following Moss Landing fire
Researchers from San Jose State University’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories found high levels of nickel, manganese and cobalt in soil at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve following the fire that sparked Jan. 16 at a battery storage facility in Moss Landing.
Posted inLatest News
Moss Landing fire impact: Officials offer reassurance as some locals worry and wonder
Almost a week after the fire at a power plant and battery storage facility in Moss Landing, officials say air quality in nearby northern Monterey County and southern Santa Cruz County is safe and do not see any health risks. Vistra, the facility’s owner, says it is conducting its own investigation into the fire.
Posted inLatest News
Evacuation orders lifted as Moss Landing Power Plant fire continues to burn
Firefighters were allowing a large blaze at a power plant and battery storage facility in Moss Landing to burn itself out, as Monterey County officials lifted evacuation orders for nearby neighborhoods Friday afternoon. Highway 1 remained closed indefinitely in area around the power plant.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Let’s celebrate otters! Expanding otters’ range and numbers will help climate change
As Sea Otter Awareness Week approaches, ocean activist Dan Haifley says we should support efforts to expand the southern sea otter’s geographic range and population, allowing them to counteract climate change and support biodiversity along a longer stretch of West Coast waters. He also gives a shoutout to Otter 841, Santa Cruz’s beloved, surfboard-riding dynamo.
Posted inEnvironment
Bivalve boom? Researchers work to restore Elkhorn Slough’s Olympia oysters
A new generation of Olympia oysters has officially taken up residence in Elkhorn Slough. Scientists hope breeding oysters in the lab and returning baby oysters to the slough will help the mollusks to rebound from the brink of extinction.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I failed at surfing, but Elkhorn Slough’s otters changed my life
Marisa Messina, an MBA student at Stanford, wanted to be a surfer, but could never quite get vertical on her board. She stumbled into kayaking and fell in love with the harmony she observed among the creatures at Moss Landing’s Elkhorn Slough. Here, she takes us on her journey and urges us to imitate and learn from the animals, plants and algae that surround us.