State regulators want more control over how battery storage facilities operate as SJSU researchers have found a large amount of heavy metals in the soil following the Moss Landing Power Plant fire.

Nickel, cobalt and manganese, found in lithium-ion batteries, increased dramatically at Elkhorn Slough after the fire.

Monterey County supervisors on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in response to last week's major fire at the Vistra lithium battery plant in Moss Landing.

A plume of material released from the plant contained hydroflouride, a toxic gas, that is now being monitored by Monterey County.

These are very disturbing numbers,” said County of Monterey Supervisor Glenn Church. “… We’re in uncharted territory.”

Research scientists with San Jose State University’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) detected “unusually high concentrations of heavy-metal nanoparticles”

Monterey County residents near a Moss Landing power plant were ordered to evacuate Thursday night after a fire broke out at the facility.

Elevated concentrations of heavy metals have been detected at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve by scientists from San Jose State University.

Brian Hackney reports on the environmental impacts of the fire that happened at a Northern California lithium battery plant. Website: YouTube: Facebook: Instagram: Twitter: