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.
Moss Landing power plant fire January 2025
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.
Posted inLatest News
Moss Landing residents file lawsuit against Vistra weeks after battery facility fire
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.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
The Moss Landing fire – where do we go from here?
The battery fire at Moss Landing requires a complete, independent investigation, writes state Sen. John Laird, and the public deserves to know how the fire started, how future fires can be prevented and the possible health and ecological impacts of the fire. There are no lithium standards in California, he writes, but says if Vistra’s battery plant does get rebuilt in Moss Landing, “it should be with newer, safer technology.”
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 inPolitics & Policy
Making sense of the giant Moss Landing fire that could set back energy storage
Last week’s blaze at the Moss Landing Power Plant could have been worse because of the plant’s design and the types of batteries used.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
In wake of battery plant fire, Santa Cruz County supervisors plan briefing; Central Coast lawmakers call for investigation
After last week’s fire at the Moss Landing battery plant forced evacuations and caused health and environmental concerns, calls for accountability have increased. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will hold a briefing next week, while Central Coast lawmakers have called for a thorough and transparent investigation.
