Community Organization Conducts Surface Sampling for Heavy Metals Following Moss Landing Fire

Moss Landing, CA (February 6, 2025). Never Again Moss Landing (NAML), a grassroots community organization serving Moss Landing and surrounding areas has conducted an environmental sampling to assess heavy metal contamination on surfaces potentially resulting from smoke plume emission fallout from the Vistra Power Plant’s battery storage facility fire on January 16th through 19th, 2025 in Moss Landing, CA. Sampling was performed by a trained group of community volunteers on January 24th , 2025, as organized and facilitated by NAML.

NAML partnered with the pro bono services of Michael A. Polkabla, CIH of BioMax Environmental, Inc. of Pacific Grove, CA to develop an appropriate sampling strategy and to train over 100 community-based volunteers to perform this sampling effort. A total of 124 surface wipe samples were collected by community volunteers from areas within and around the greater Monterey Bay area utilizing prescribed sampling collection media and standardized wipe collection methods. Samples were collected from identified exterior (non-metallic) surfaces believed to have been exposed to potential fallout from smoke plume residual particles. Sampling locations were selected within a wide geographic area including locations near to the Moss Landing site (the source of the fire plume) as well as within areas as far as 30+ miles from the Moss Landing source area. Samples were collected and analyzed by a third-party accredited analytical laboratory to identify the presence and evaluate extent of potential “marker” contamination known to be associated with lithium battery fire emissions including the heavy metals Lithium (Li), Nickel (Ni), Manganese (Mn), and Cobalt (Co).

Samples were collected by volunteers using GhostWipe sampling media using 100 cm² disposable templates to delineate and quantify uniform surface areas for sampling following standardized wipe sampling protocol methods. Collected samples were recorded by field technicians on field sampling records, verified by BioMax, and submitted under chain-of-custody documentation to ALS laboratories in Salt Lake City, Utah, for analysis. The approximately $6,500 in testing expenses for the analysis were paid for by NAML and volunteer donations. Testing was conducted by ALS Laboratories using ICP detection methods following NIOSH Analytical Method 9102, to detect and quantify the presence of the noted heavy metals commonly associated with lithium battery fire smoke emissions and combustion byproducts.

The raw data reports providing findings of these analyzed samples are presented in the attached Analytical Reports and summarized within the attached spreadsheet, noting sample IDs, surface materials sampled, and geolocations relative to the Moss Landing fire site. The dataset also incorporates field method control blank samples (as noted) in accordance with standard industrial hygiene quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) requirements.

While results are collated by distance from the source, the attached Analytical Reports (dated February 5, 2025) also provide the original, unaltered, and complete findings associated with this sampling effort and have not been interpreted by either NAML or BioMax Environmental at this time. It is our hope that this data will be utilized and reviewed by the scientific community as well as public and private agency experts to better understand and interpret the significance of these findings. This data should not be interpreted at this time as indicating the presence of elevated heavy metal residues generated from the Moss Landing BESS fire that occurred on 1/16/25. Instead, we hope that experts will peer review these findings in combination with historical and current air, soil, and groundwater sampling and monitoring data to establish a comparative analysis, and a scientific basis, for interpretation of these results whereby the relevance of all findings (in combination) may be established.

It is NAML’s position that it is important for reviewers of this data to recognize that normal “background” levels of heavy metals (Li, Ni, Mn, and Co) exist at varying concentrations within the dust and soils present within California as well as within our communities. Therefore, it should not be assumed that an identified detectable concentration of any heavy metal means that the finding at that location is above environmental “background” norms.

NAML believes that these findings, along with analysis of other current and ongoing research sources, are critical to answering key community concerns regarding the potential environmental and public health impacts from this fire event both now and in the future. This study provides meaningful community-based findings and essential insight into the release of these contaminants and chemicals into the surrounding environment which may affect public health, agriculture, sensitive ecosystems, and other vulnerable receptors through both immediate contamination and long-term exposure pathways.

This initiative reflects our community’s need for information in the face of widespread concerns about the adverse medical crisis being described by hundreds of individuals posting on social media. We also believe in the absolute necessity of environmental monitoring and public health awareness through transparent communication of information following this incident. As the community seeks transparency and accountability, this initiative represents a vital preliminary step in understanding and mitigating the potential risks caused by the Vistra fire event and in doing so, also supports ongoing and future local and state policies that must be developed to assure that this type of event never happens again.

Brian Roeder
Never Again Moss Landing
info [at] neveragainmosslanding.org
http://www.neveraginmosslanding.org

BioMax Environmental
Michael A. Polkabla, CIH
Principal, Senior Certified Industrial Hygienist
BioMax Environmental, Inc.
http://www.biomaxenvironmental.com

“Never Again Moss Landing” is a Fast-response grass-roots all-volunteer resident group which advocates for our community’s voice and interests in response to the Moss Landing BESS Fire. We believe that a disaster like this must never again occur. We coordinate local citizen efforts to organize and deploy facts that can restore our community’s environment, health, and welfare. We are not affiliated with any other governmental, business, or advocacy groups. Our website is http://www.neveragainmosslanding.org. Queries can be sent toinfo [at] neveragainmosslanding.org.