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In the aftermath of the Moss Landing Power Plant fire, the community rallies and the county responds

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The Monterey Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the adoption of a resolution to ratify the Proclamation of Local Emergency as a result of the Vistra Energy fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant last week.

Two motions were made by District 2 Supervisor Glen Church. The first motion has to do with the county sending a letter to both Vistra Energy and PG&E requesting them to stay offline until the cause of the fire can be determined and addressed.

Additionally, Supervisor Church stressed the importance of compliance with SB-38, which deals with emergency response and emergency action plans for battery energy storage facilities as well as to enforce standards for these storage facilities.

Finally, Supervisor Church proposed further research and creating an ad hoc committee, overseen by him and Supervisor Daniels, to collaborate with more researchers and professionals in determining the best course of action moving forward.

The motions were passed unanimously.

"The learn as we go model just doesn't work anymore," said Supervisor Church. "It is jeopardizing our communities."

This supervisors decision was met well with community members who attended the meeting, although many people still had lingering questions they wanted answers to.

“My kids had immediate headaches in the area, especially my youngest and my oldest daughter," said Liza Schmidt, a Moss Landing resident. "I mean, we tried to come back when they lifted the evacuation, and we actually re-evacuated because as we were coming in, we're all experiencing exacerbated symptoms.”

While the flames are now out, the community has been coming together over meetings, both official and community-led, to address health concerns. County officials are now saying that smoke levels are at a minimal, although it can still cause eye and throat irritation, coughing and difficult breathing.

“There was, for all of us residents and extended areas, consistent and current symptoms of burning eyes, cold-feeling lungs, excessive, metallic debris all over our boats in anything that could settle, collected debris,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt also said that she is worried about the delays in water quality testing in addition to the environmental impact of the fire.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the supplemental air monitoring in the Vistra Energy area regarding the Moss Landing fire has concluded.

"Results for hydrogen flouride and particulate matter showed no risk to public health throughout the incident, and smoke from the facility has greatly diminished," they wrote in their findings Tuesday.

This came on the same day that a special meeting was called by the County Board of Supervisors to hear from people directly affected by the fire.

"I want them to move it to Texas or wherever the hell they're from," said a concerned caller at Tuesday's meeting.

Some people calling it a major disaster from start to finish and others applauding the county's quick response. Concerned community members filled the room and listened via zoom, all demanding answers.

"How safe is it? We don't even know how safe it is to be out there right now," voiced one concerned neighbor. "I'm very skeptical that there's zero contaminants..."

People at the meeting also brought up livestock, animals living in the Elkhorn Slough and water contamination as potentially toxic.

"The disconnect between what was being said on the television from officials and what was being said on social media from the real people experiencing it... there's a large disconnect," said another resident in the meeting.

"You say that we didn't have these chemicals and its wood smoke and what not....but on Friday when I was out the chemicals that I smelled left a metallic taste in my mouth," one woman stood at the podium, growing emotional as she recalled her experience with radioactive chemicals. "Last time I tasted that was from my chemotherapy."

Vistra Energy has set up a website to update people in the Moss Landing area about air quality and the actual battery storage unit.

Article Topic Follows: Moss Landing Storage Fire

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Lisa Montgomery

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Austin Castro

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