Study shows ‘heavy concentrations’ of heavy metals in soil after Moss Landing Fire

One day after a group of Santa Cruz County residents collected soil samples from the areas impacted by the Jan. 16 battery storage facility fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant to test for heavy metals, a San Jose State University Professor released the results of a study confirming their suspicions.

The study of a two-mile radius around the plant by Professor 

Ivano Aiello found an “unusually high concentrations of heavy-metal nanoparticles in marsh soils at Elkhorn Slough Reserve “after the fire,” with increases of a hundredfold to a thousandfold from previous testing. 

This included nickel, manganese and cobalt, all of which are known to be toxic to aquatic species and animals, including  humans.

“Our intention and our goal is to study how those elements affect the local ecosystems,” Aiello said. 

The study is part of a decade-long monitoring program of the Elkhorn Slough estuary.

While the effects of the fire are still being studied, the incident will give scientists a chance to better understand the potential downsides of battery storage plants, which are likely to become more widespread as people increasingly rely on alternative energy sources, Aiello said. 

“It is certain that there is going to be more and more battery storage facilities,” he said. “They will be bigger and more concentrated. Unfortunately for us, this is an opportunity to study for the first time to study the effects of such a fire.”

Aiello’s team—and the Elkhorn Slough Reserve—will continue monitoring the soils and waterways on a short- and long-term basis.

Brian Roeder, a spokesman for the group “Never Again Moss Landing,” said the group of citizens was formed in the wake of the fire to gather information that previously was unavailable to the public.

Because the group’s study includes a larger area than the one by SJSU—volunteers took samples from as far south as Gonzalez, as far north as Davenport and east to Holister—it can serve as a supplement to the overall findings, Roeder said.

Texas-based Vistra Corp., which owns the plant, did not immediately return a request for comment.

Santa Cruz County Supervisor Glenn Church called the results “concerning and disturbing.”

“The fact is that whatever’s there on the top of the ground is also what was in the smoke layer, and we were all exposed to that,” he said. 

It is not clear when Vistra plans to re-open. But county officials have said that the company does not need county approval to do so.

Vistra is considered a utility, and as such is regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.

In a meeting last week, the supervisors approved Church’s motion to form a subcommittee to explore the county’s legal options.

“We really don’t know how to regulate (the technology) from a government level, because everything is so new,” he said. “This industry really doesn’t know how to control it either.”

Never Again Moss Landing is footing the $6,300 bill for the local testing.

Roeder, a Prunedale resident, said his wife launched the group after they saw the incident from their property.

“We step out on the balcony, and there’s the place on fire,” he said.

The day the Facebook group was launched, more than 1,200 signed on, the next day, that number had jumped to 2,000, he said.

Soon, a representative from Biomax International had offered the company’s testing services.

“We discussed the fact that, as far as we knew, no samples had been for testing, other than the initial EPA (hydrogen fluoride) testing,” he said. “And that is all they’ve been able to measure, and they basically said, ‘we’re done.’”

It was possible, Roeder knew, that the large battery fire could have sent contaminants into the air.

Volunteers distributed 150 testing kits on Saturday, and collected them the next day. The results are expected within 10 working days, Roeder said. 

The group’s data could someday be admissible in court. But Roeder was quick to point out such action is not the focus of the group.

“We are not about court,” he said. “We have not spoken to any attorneys about this issue. We’re not trying to solicit for legal action. We are trying to get information to the community.”

The group was formed with the objective of making sure that an event like the fire cannot happen again. And that begins, he said, with an informed public.

“If there is going to be a ‘never again,’ that requires the citizenry that are being affected to be able to have a voice there,” he said.

Monterey County officials are urging caution for anyone who finds residue from the fire and wants to dispose of it.

• Do not allow children to play in or with items covered by fire residual.  Wash and clean affected children’s toys before using.

• Use “wet” methods when cleaning, such as a damp cloth or wet mop. 

• Only use HEPA-filter vacuum cleaners if vacuuming is necessary.

• Avoid direct skin contact with fire residual by wearing gloves, long-sleeved shirts and pants during clean up. 

• Use a disposable N-95 mask to avoid breathing in small particles that may be disturbed during cleaning.

• Wear safety goggles—not safety glasses—if clean-up may cause ash in the air and if using chemical cleaning solutions to prevent splashing into the eyes.

• Wash any home-grown fruits or vegetables from trees or gardens before eating. 

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