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Environmental Health continues to test samples near Vistra fire site

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MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The County of Monterey's Environmental Health received an update on testing samples near the sight of the Vistra Energy fire in Moss Landing.

Environmental Health has been collecting and testing soil and water samples from the Moss Landing area since Friday. The update comes after a separate soil test from San Jose State University's Moss Landing Marine Lab found high levels of heavy metal nanoparticles within the marsh soils at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve.

County of Monterey's Environmental Health director Ricardo Encarnacion says they are still awaiting the results of their water and soil samples.

“I’d also like the public to know that we’re not done. Whether we find - have findings or nothing to report by this Friday, we are not done," Encarnacion said. 

As for testing beyond Moss Landing, Encarnacion stated that it may prove difficult to pinpoint other heavy metal particulates. That is due to how they attach to other materials on the ground.

“That is kind of where we would take in all of these different data points and factors to point us in the direction of where to look and how far to look," Encarnacion said. "It does get more difficult the farther out you are from the fire to associate what you find out in the field could be associated to the fire.”

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Sergio Berrueta

Sergio Berrueta has been in the news for quite awhile going from studying print media to entering the realm of broadcast.

Originally from Bell Gardens, California, in Southeast Los Angeles. Berrueta started his professional news career in Eureka as a newscast producer for North Coast News (now The Northstate’s News) at KAEF ABC 23 in 2022. He pivoted a year later in 2022 going from behind-the-scenes to in front of the camera as a multimedia journalist for Redwood News Channel 3 (KIEM/KVIQ) also in Eureka.

Berrueta studied journalism at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) earning his Bachelor’s Degree. Berrueta was a staff writer, page editor, social media manager and editor-in-chief of the university’s El Lenador, the only bilingual publication in all of Humboldt County.

Before moving to the North Coast, Berrueta had earned his Associate’s Degree at East Los Angeles College in 2019 after beginning his educational journey in 2012. He also was on staff for the ELAC’s publication, ELAC Campus News, having been a staff writer, page editor, and online editor.

Outside of news experience, Berrueta has also been in education as an AmeriCorps tutor in East Hollywood from 2017 to 2019 and served in a government role as a National Hometown Fellow for Lead for America with the City of Arcata in 2021.

When not focusing on news, Berrueta is an avid amateur cinephile having written about films in free time. He also writes poetry, attempting to get through a backlog of video games, enjoys visiting new places along the California Coast, and trying to keep up with the latest music and podcasts.

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