Board gets Moss Landing cleanup update; directs staff to ask CPUC for timeline on independent cause report
Loading...
Summary
The board received updates on the Moss 300 battery‑removal effort (EPA reported ~19,392 deenergized modules to date) and scheduled a technical briefing for March 17; the board also unanimously directed staff to send a letter to the CPUC requesting a timeline for its independent investigation into the cause of the fire.
County officials told the board on Feb. 3 that battery‑removal and debris operations at the Moss 300 battery‑energy storage site are proceeding under EPA oversight and that, as of the agency’s reporting, roughly 19,392 of an estimated 35,772 intact battery modules had been deenergized and approximately 16,000 modules had been transported off‑site for recycling.
Emergency Management Director Kelsey Scanlan said that battery removal continues and that demolition is paused while teams address remaining accessible intact modules; she and environmental health staff said EPA expects battery removal work to continue into the fall and that a second demolition phase could occur mid‑2026. Environmental Health staff said the county’s preliminary environmental assessment (PEA) equivalent is scheduled for release in March and that state and federal subject‑matter experts will join the board on March 17 for a technical briefing.
Environmental Health stated the PEA will focus on sampling and screening data outside the facility fence and will incorporate community sampling results alongside agency datasets. County staff indicated EPA oversees on‑site debris sampling and removal protocols and that the county will request clarity on on‑site sample results and debris analyses.
After public comment pressing for greater transparency and faster release of cause‑of‑fire findings, the board unanimously approved a direction for county counsel/CAO to send a written request to the California Public Utilities Commission asking for an expected timeline for the CPUC’s independent cause investigation and to copy the county’s state and federal legislative delegation on that request.
Next steps: a detailed briefing with agency technical leads and the PEA release is scheduled for March 17. The county will publish the CPUC letter and continue monthly updates as work proceeds.
