Scientists have linked a lithium battery plant fire in California earlier this month to a surge in heavy metals found in nearby soil.

Less than two weeks after a huge fire in Moss Landing at one of the world’s largest battery storage plants, scientists affiliated with San Jose State University have discovered unusually high levels of toxic metals in soils at Elkhorn Slough,

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.

The blaze broke out late Thursday at the Monterey County plant that stores and sells power to Pacific Gas & Electric.

Evacuations were lifted Friday night for people near an ongoing fire that erupted Thursday at one of the world’s largest battery storage plants in the northern half of California.

A fire broke out at the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in Central California Thursday. The battery power plant is the largest in the world according to the company, Vistra, that owns it.

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

Scientists find heavy metal spike in Moss Landing soil post-battery facility fire

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