Air quality reports are normal for Moss Landing after battery plant flare-up

KSBW Action News, Monterey, CA ^ | February 19, 2025 | Ricardo Tovar

[ProtectOurFreedom]

The County of Monterey has sent out an alert to residents that smoke was seen coming from the Moss Landing area on Tuesday evening (Feb. 18). North Monterey County firefighters say that a group of batteries smoldered and reignited.

The alert sent at around 8:40 p.m. reads, "Light smoke observed at Vistra Battery Facility North County Fire is on scene investigating what appears to be smoke coming from the previously burned area within the Vistra Moss Landing lithium-ion battery facility."

A second alert was sent at 10 p.m. saying that public safety agencies were in unified command due to the light smoke. Community air particulate matter and metals monitoring is currently ongoing.

"Out of an abundance of caution, safety agencies urge residents to close windows and doors overnight. Updates will be forthcoming," said the county.

Chief Juan Mendoza with North Monterey County Fire says a group of batteries reignited. The new fire is burning in the part of the facility that burned earlier in the year and has not gotten into the undamaged area.

The new fire is considerably smaller than the one in January. County officials say the flare-up lasted until about 3 a.m. and died down.

"Monterey Bay Area Resource District has been reviewing the concentrations from their smoke sensor monitoring system. Over the past 24 hours, air quality has been in the 'good' or 'green' range according to EPA's Air Quality Index," per a county update sent around noon.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

The big fire occurred January 16, 2025 -- over FOUR weeks ago. The mess has apparently been smoldering and flared up last night. I guess they can't toss a huge, fixed battery plant into a dunk tank like you can a smoldering Tesla. And how do you demolish a burned-out battery plant? If you start demolition, fresh oxygen will get to the batteries and they will catch on fire again. How long do you have to let a burned-out battery plant sit there before you can demolish it? Months? Years?

There are actually two power plants at the site, one owned by PG&E, and the other by the Texas-based company Vistra Energy. And the Vistra Energy-owned facility is the one that has now had two fires in 33 days.

On February 14, a group of Monterey County residents filed a lawsuit over the first fire in January. That suit sues Vistra Energy for lax safety standards, and PG&E for allegedly faulty design of the facility.

Green energy -- the environmentally-friendly gift that keeps on giving! These pics are of the initial big fire in January 2025.

[xp38]

Mostly peaceful....er....clear air

[BobL]

” I guess they can’t toss a huge, fixed battery plant into a dunk tank like you can a smoldering Tesla.”

The battery cells contain the oxygen they need to burn, which is why there are videos with of EVs burning underwater, such as this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUVZR7OIelk

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I’m sure fresh O2 helps accelerate the combustion, too.

[BobL]

“I’m sure fresh O2 helps accelerate the combustion, too.”

True, everything around the batteries does need oxygen to burn.

[Vendome]

Stupid headwaters

Test the ground where our food comes crom

[Paladin2]

LiO is never a problem?

[rxh4n1]

“How long do you have to let a burned-out battery plant sit there before you can demolish it? Months? Years?”

Got a long way to go before it beats the longest lasting tire fire. I guess we’re gonna find out.
The Heyope tyre dump near Knighton, Powys, would appear to be the longest burning tyre fire in the world. Started in 1989 it continued to burn until at least 2004.

[rxh4n1]

Darn. I forgot the Centralia coal mine fire.

” since at least May 27, 1962. Its original cause and start date are still a matter of debate.”
“At its current rate, it could continue to burn for over 250 years.”

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Coal seam fires are a big problem worldwide.

Due to thermal insulation and the avoidance of rain/snow extinguishment by the crust, underground coal-seam fires are the most persistent fires on Earth and can burn for thousands of years, like Burning Mountain in Australia. Coal-seam fires can be ignited by self-heating of low-temperature oxidation, lightning, wildfires and even arson. Global coal fire emissions are estimated to cause 40 tons of mercury to enter the atmosphere annually, and to represent three percent of the world's annual CO2 emissions.

Globally, thousands of inextinguishable mine fires are burning, especially in China where poverty, lack of government regulations and runaway development combine to create an environmental disaster. Modern strip mining exposes smouldering coal seams to the air, revitalizing the flames.

[rxh4n1]

“underground coal-seam fires are the most persistent fires on Earth and can burn for thousands of years, like Burning Mountain in Australia.”

Darn. Centralia doesn’t have a claim to fame then. Can’t even get a tourist trap out of losing their town. Maybe they can put an asterisk on it and say longest man-caused fire.

[Revel]

But farmers fields are now covered with toxic chemicals. And it will all be covered up.

[wetgundog]

Same lies said on 9-11. Look how many have died since then.

[TalBlack]

That’s what they said about downtown after 911.