Monterey County details phased cleanup and months-long recovery after Moss Landing battery fire

Monterey County officials gave supervisors a detailed update March 18 on the response and transition to recovery after the Jan. 16 fire at the Moss Landing battery energy storage facility, saying environmental testing, community health surveys and phased debris work are under way but that site risks remain.

County staff said the initial focus has been stabilizing the site, protecting the public and collecting environmental data to support a longer-term cleanup. "Since our presentation...we have actively been working with the public health assessment team to conduct environmental monitoring and sampling, both inside and outside of the fence line," Kelsey Scanlon, county emergency manager, told the board.

The presentation said site work will proceed in phases that overlap: reducing risk of battery reignition, structural stabilization and removal of debris, then site cleanup and regulatory signoffs. County staff said an early round of "battery delinking"—separating accessible energy storage modules from racks—was completed Feb. 22; additional delinking and staged removal remains planned. "Our priority is safety of the personnel on-site as well as safety of the community," Scanlon said.

Why it matters: The Moss Landing site fire involved large quantities of lithium-ion batteries and produced smoke and residue that neighbors reported across a wide area. Officials said the cleanup will be complex because live energy remains trapped in damaged batteries, debris may present risks when moved, and the scale of the site is greater than prior, smaller incidents.

Supporting details: County Environmental Health staff described multi-agency sampling that has included drinking-water tests at five systems, soil screening at community locations, air monitoring that began Jan. 16 and continued through a Feb. reignition, and planned community surface-wipe and soil sampling prompted by local reports of visible ash. Nikki Fowler, Monterey County Environmental Health, said DTSC and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment reviewed initial soil screening; OEHHA asked staff to do follow-up sampling at two sites. "The primary goal is to fill information gaps so a comprehensive human health risk assessment can be completed," Fowler said.

Public-health outreach: The county released a community health survey March 16 that drew more than 1,500 responses. Ed Moreno, Monterey County Health Director, said the questionnaire captured where people saw or smelled smoke, symptoms and whether residents sought care; health staff will publish a summary after analysis.

Community sampling and monitoring: County staff said they are drafting a community sampling plan that will include sites where residents reported visible ash, recommended DTSC follow-up locations and additional locations for surface, soil, water and biotic sampling. Staff noted that some outside organizations and neighborhood groups have already done sampling and provided data; the county intends to incorporate external data into maps and an online GIS viewer when contributors permit.

Regulatory and interagency roles: The county described the Health Assessment Team organized under CalEPA and a multi-agency coordination group (MAC) that includes state and federal partners. Staff credited state and federal agencies for technical support and said the county remains the lead local jurisdiction overseeing environmental sampling and public information.

Remaining questions and logistics: Supervisors and residents pressed for more and faster public release of raw monitoring data—including real-time air measurements, sampling spreadsheets and temperature records for the fire—and for details on how debris and contaminated materials will be packaged, routed and disposed. County staff said many samples and reports are in hand or being summarized; some contractor data originate with the responsible party and are being processed by EPA and state partners before broader release.

Next steps and timeline: Officials said they cannot give a firm completion date because site operations are dynamic. "This is a moving target," Scanlon said. County staff said they expect site stabilization and staged removal to take months and that full structural demolition and disposition could extend longer, possibly into the next year depending on technical and safety constraints. The board and community asked for regular monthly updates; staff indicated it will continue that cadence.

Ending: County leaders urged residents to use county information channels for updates and to submit sampling concerns through the county hotline. "We appreciate the community’s patience as we navigate this complexity," Scanlon told the board.