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EPA, County and State Outline year-plus cleanup plan at Moss Landing battery fire site
Summary
Federal EPA, state and county officials described a stepwise, time‑critical removal at the Vistra Moss Landing battery fire site and ongoing public‑health and environmental testing outside the plant. Agencies say the cleanup will likely take 18–24 months and will prioritize the highest‑risk batteries for removal.
Federal, state and county agencies on Tuesday described how they will dismantle and remove damaged lithium‑ion batteries from the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility and continue environmental testing around the site, saying the cleanup will be methodical and may take up to two years.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it has an enforceable agreement with Vistra Energy, the site operator, under which Vistra will pay for and perform a “time‑critical” removal of batteries and burned building materials while EPA provides oversight. Mike Montgomery, director of Superfund and Emergency Management for EPA Region 9, said EPA’s priorities are worker safety, preventing further fires and preventing contaminants from moving offsite.
Nikki Fowler, a toxicologist with the Monterey County Environmental Health Bureau, told the board that early soil testing from 108 surface samples showed “only 3 out of the 108 samples showed exceedances for battery‑related metals, and no widespread contamination was observed.” Fowler said additional sampling of marsh and slough areas has started and preliminary results are expected in…
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