‘Extremely disturbing’: High levels of heavy metals at Monterey estuary after lithium battery site fire
The Elkhorn Slough Reserve covers 1,700 acres of the central shore of Monterey Bay. (San José State University’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories)
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Days after one of the world’s largest lithium ion battery storage facilities burst into flames in Monterey County, researchers found alarmingly high concentrations of heavy metals at a nearby estuary that is home to several endangered species.
Scientists at San José State University recorded a dramatic increase in nickel, manganese and cobalt — materials used in lithium ion batteries — in soil samples at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve after the recent fire at the nearby Moss Landing Power Plant.
The toxic metals threaten to upset the delicate ecosystem at the Elkhorn Slough, which is the state’s second-largest estuary and plays a key role in sequestering carbon emissions and protecting the coastline from sea level rise, said Ivano Aiello, chair of the university’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.
Aiello, who has monitored environmental conditions at the slough for more than a decade, said he was shocked by the results.
The concentration of nickel, manganese and cobalt measured on the surface of the soil is hundreds to thousands of times as much as the levels in the surface soil prior to the fire or compared with levels measured deeper in the soil.
“I was wondering whether there was anything associated with this fire that could have been impacted,” said Aiello. “I didn’t know I was going find such a high concentration of those metals.”
On Tuesday, Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church called the findings “extremely disturbing” and said he was worried about what future data would reveal regarding the consequences of the unprecedented blaze. The fire ignited Jan. 16, burned for five days and ultimately destroyed an estimated 80% of the batteries inside the building, which is on the coast about 18 miles north of the city of Monterey.
Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) said in a statement Monday that she was “deeply concerned” about the concentration of heavy metals in “one of our most cherished and fragile ecosystems.”
“These concentrations are directly linked to the battery energy storage fire,” she said.
When a massive fire erupted at one of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery storage facilities in Monterey County, it didn’t just send a toxic plume of smoke over nearby communities — it cast a shadow of doubt over the future of California’s clean energy industry.
The battery storage site is owned by Texas-based Vistra Energy. A spokesperson said Tuesday that the company was aware of San José State’s data and would work with local health agencies to determine next steps. Vistra is also completing its own investigation into the fire and environmental monitoring around the plant, the spokesperson said.
The Elkhorn Slough Reserve was closed to the public from Jan. 17 to Jan. 21 while it and residential areas near the power plant were under evacuation orders due to the fire. It is now open to visitors.
Initial air quality monitoring from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined that there was no public health risk posed by levels of particulate matter and hydrogen fluoride gas released during the fire. Hydrogen fluoride is a highly toxic gas produced by lithium ion battery fires that can cause severe respiratory damage as well as skin and eye burns.
The EPA did not plan to conduct soil or water testing, which is instead being carried out by local and state health agencies.
The Monterey County Health Department said Monday it was grateful for the testing conducted by Aiello’s team and planned to present preliminary results from its own soil and water samples later this week.
The department said it was working with the California Department of Public Health, the California Environmental Protection Agency and state epidemiologists to “evaluate the research, assess any potential health concerns, and determine the appropriate steps moving forward.”
San José State’s soil samples suggest there could be long-term environmental and health effects from the toxic blaze, said Aiello.
His lab is now in “emergency mode” trying to collect data and understand how the heavy metals might affect the ecosystem. Scientists have collected soil samples from more than 100 locations within a two-mile radius of the plant since Jan. 22.
“There’s a layer of heavy metals now on the soil, and I don’t know what’s going to happen. Is it going to be washed away? Is it going to penetrate to the groundwater? Is it going to concentrate and bioaccumulate?” he said. “We need to learn that before we can actually understand the implications.”
The Elkhorn Slough is home to more than 700 species of plants, animals and marine life, including endangered and threatened species such as the southern sea otter, the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander and the California brown pelican.
Its marshlands store large amounts of carbon, helping to mitigate climate change. The estuary also helps prevent coastal erosion and absorb the effects of sea level rise.
As the cleanup phase of recovery begins after the devastating fires in L.A. County, displaced residents grapple with new uncertainty surrounding the cost and timeline for rebuilding.
Supervisor Church has said the fire raises the question of whether the plant should be located near an environmentally sensitive area. He and fellow board members passed a resolution last week asking that the battery storage facility remain offline until a thorough investigation could be completed and new safety measures implemented.
In the aftermath of the blaze, Assemblymember Addis introduced new legislation that would require that local government be given a say in the permitting process for battery or energy storage facilities, and establish a buffer to keep such sites a set distance away from schools, hospitals and natural habitats.
“True climate solutions must benefit — not harm — our communities and natural environment,” she said in a statement. “We have to continue to fight for the inclusion of community voice and proper siting of battery energy storage facilities.”
The American Clean Power Assn. has opposed her proposal, Assembly Bill 303, saying it puts overly onerous restrictions on the clean energy industry.
“The best way to promote safety across the state of California is the universal adoption and enforcement of the latest version of the national fire protection standard for battery energy storage,” ACP-California Executive Director Alex Jackson said in a statement. “This proposal misses the mark. Its sprawling restrictions would make it harder to keep the lights on in California.”
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