Firefighters monitor Northern California lithium battery plant for storm-related flare-ups
Monterey County firefighters on Friday said they were monitoring Vistra Energy's fire-damaged lithium-ion battery facility for flare-ups as an atmospheric river moved through the region.
The North County Fire Protection District issued a hazard advisory for the Moss Landing plant Friday night.
"Public safety officials are monitoring the potential for flare-ups and additional fires at the Vistra site due to the atmospheric river interacting with the remaining lithium-ion batteries and debris hotspots," county spokeswoman Maia Carroll said in a statement about 7:30 p.m.
The lithium-ion battery energy storage system facility caught fire on Jan. 16, leading to evacuation orders for about 1,200 nearby residents. About 80% of the structure and its batteries were destroyed in the fire.
No one was injured and the evacuations were lifted after about 24 hours. Initial air quality measurements from the federal and state governments indicated there was no threat to residents, but elevated levels of heavy metals were detected in nearby Elkhorn Slough following the fire by a team from San Jose State University. Environmental concerns had earlier been raised about the fire and its proximity to the sensitive wetlands area.
The day after the fire started, one Monterey County supervisor described the incident as a "Three Mile Island" event for the emerging lithium-ion battery industry. On January 21st, Monterey County officials declared a state of emergency in response to the Moss Landing fire.
Officials have announced that a relief fund was established that will provide $750 gift cards for Monterey County residents impacted by the battery storage facility fire
The cause of the fire at what was described as one of the world's largest battery storage facilities hasn't been announced. It was also unknown why the plant's internal fire suppression system failed.
The Moss Landing plant is operated by Texas-based Vistra Corp., which has seen its stock price soar in the last year from about $41 to about $168 at the close of trading on Friday.
PG&E also has its own battery storage facility at the site that is still online. Local elected officials including county Supervisor Glenn Church has called for Vistra to keep its facility offline until the cause of the fire is known, and more prevention is put in place.
