A patchy picture of contamination from the Vistra battery plant fire emerges.

The location of the Vistra battery plant fire poses obvious risks. The battery energy storage system (BESS) facility at Moss Landing, which went ablaze on Jan. 16, 2025, is adjacent to residential areas, businesses, agricultural lands and protected wildlife areas, most notably the Elkhorn Slough.

Yet, if there is a silver lining to this unprecedented event, it is that the fire broke out next to Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, a world-renowned research station that’s been collecting continuous data on local environmental conditions for years.

In the nearly year-and-a-half since the incident, reports detailing the possible fallout of airborne heavy metals – and what that means for residents and the environment – have been a source of tension and confusion. At a County Board of Supervisors meeting on March 17, County officials reported that about two-thirds of the intact modules have been de-energized and transported offsite for recycling, and Moss 100, the smaller indoor battery facility next door, will not be going back online.

Dozens of concerned residents voiced mostly frustration. Their comments followed presentations from county officials, state toxicologists, local researchers and citizen scientists outlining their findings.

“The issue here is that it looks like it’s clean, but [the Department of Toxic Substances Control] is only talking about a narrow area, and those of us who were polluted are suffering,” said Ed Mitchell, presenting on behalf of the group Never Again Moss Landing.

The reports painted a patchy picture at best. State toxicologists Weiying Jiang and Michael Garland with DTSC presented preliminary findings on human health and ecological risks. They reported that sampling data showed no significant health risks to off-site residents and no ecological risk, though both conclusions remain under review.

However, researchers with EMBER – the Estuary Monitoring of Battery Emissions and Residues group – reported evidence of metal fallout across areas of Elkhorn Slough. They found that these particles were rapidly deposited across the marsh and then washed away by rain and tidal action.

“This is a very clear smoking gun of battery metal deposition on our wetlands,” said Kerstin Wasson, research coordinator at Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. “It was redistributed downstream in the estuarine system, but it did not disappear.”

Supervisor Kate Daniels and Wasson later clarified that differing results do not necessarily mean the findings are contradictory or incorrect. “We just need to compile them,” Wasson said. “Science uses it all, and the county should synthesize the findings.”

Daniels added that the EMBER findings – and the need for more data – could present an opportunity for collaboration between local researchers and Vistra. “Make the polluter pay,” Daniels said. “I’d like to see if Vistra would fund this ongoing effort. It would be very beneficial to have this ongoing research, and the community would be more trusting if it came from well-renowned entities here in Monterey County.”