Scientists link surge in heavy metals in soil to California lithium battery plant fire
Scientists at San Jose State University say that a large fire that burned at a battery plant in Monterrey County, California earlier this month has left heightened levels of heavy metals in a nearby nature reserve.
According to a press release from SJSU, unusually high concentrations of nickel, manganese and cobalt were detected by SJSU’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. The heavy metals were seen in soils within two miles of a lithium battery storage site, which burned earlier this month.
Vistra Energy's Moss Landing Power Plant was located in the unincorporated community of Moss Landing.
The fire at the 300-megawatt lithium storage facility destroyed most of the building and its contents, according to county fire officials. The storage facility is a part of a natural gas-powered electricity plant operated by Vistra Energy, a Texas company. The facility also has a battery storage station owned by PG&E.
Researchers say soils at local estuary contaminated
Dr. Ivano Aiello, chair of San José State’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, said in the release that the soils at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve were tested following the fire. The reserve is located within a two-mile radius of the plant.
According to Aiello, his lab saw hundreds-fold rise in the concentration of three heavy metals in the top layer of the soil.
“They are clearly the type of material from a battery, so you can link directly the occurrence increasing of this toxic heavy metal to the source, which is a battery,” he said.
No risks to public health, EPA says
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concluded supplemental air monitoring in the vicinity of the Vistra Energy storage facility and said in a statement that there was, "no risk to public health throughout the incident."
The EPA began monitoring for hydrogen fluoride, a highly toxic gas produced by lithium-ion battery fires, and for particulate matter, according to the county’s timeline.
“We remain fairly confident that there was no adverse impact associated with emissions from the plant fire, we did not do speciation of chemicals found because that would be a pretty exhaustive and expensive process to do," Richard Stedman, air pollution control officer from the Monterey Bay Air Resources District, said at the meeting.
However, residents near the fire and in communities just outside the evacuation zone have reported respiratory issues and a metallic taste. In a local Facebook group, various residents have reported health symptoms like headaches and nausea they believe could be linked to the fire.
Contributing: Roseann Cattani, The Californian
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for Paste BN. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.