February 14, 2025: California law firm Singleton Schreiber said on February 2 it had filed a lawsuit against multiple companies in the wake of the Moss Landing BESS fire.

Senior counsel Knut Johnson said the legal action, against companies including Vistra, had been filed on behalf of several residents living in the vicinity of the plant, where a blaze broke at Vistra’s 300MW facility on January 16.

In a related move, university researchers in California claim they have detected unusually high concentrations of heavy-metal nanoparticles near the Moss Landing lithium ion battery storage facility, where a major fire broke out last month.

Surveys conducted within a radius of about two miles from the BESS measured a dramatic increase in the marsh soil surface concentration of nickel, manganese and cobalt, the San José State University team claimed.

Vistra said on January 28 it was awaiting detailed results from the team. However, air monitoring data had not detected hazardous substances of concern in the air during or after the event. 

The company said more sampling was needed around the plant to determine areas that may benefit from additional study, adding that a third-party independent expert is conducting ongoing additional testing. 

In a related move, Vistra revealed it had contributed more than $450,000 to establish a relief fund to help offset residents’ expenses associated with the impact of the fire.

Meanwhile, campaigners have launched the ‘Never Again Moss Landing’ group to coordinate responses of local residents in the aftermath of the fire.

Batteries International reported last month that the California Public Utilities Commission wants to compel energy storage system owners to report safety-related incidents such as injuries, fatalities, thermal runaways, fires, or other system failures — which they are not required to do at present.