MOSS LANDING, Calif. (KION) -The project director for Vistra says removing the batteries is a complex process, and there's still no timeline for when it will be complete.
But the county's new environmental testing dashboard is giving people a better picture of what's been found so far.
People impacted by the Vistra power plant fire are getting an update on what's been found so far. Over 4 months after the fire at the Visra battery storage facility cleanup is far from over. Dave Yaeger is the director of project development for Vistra.
"We expect to begin incrementally removing the batteries that were not affected by the fire, discharging them, essentially draining them, and transporting them offsite this summer. Batteries that weren't impacted by the fire are anticipated to be stable for transportation once they're discharged. From there, they'll be sent to a recycling facility according to all DOT and EPA standards," said Dave Yaeger, Director of Project Development for Vistra.
The batteries that were impacted by the fire are still unknown when and how they will be removed.
"Vistras works closely with the US EPA and other regulators to develop an initial battery removal, load discharge, and transportation plan," said Yaeger.
The smoke from the battery fire, still on people's minds who live near where the fire erupted.
The county of Monterey, launching a new dashboard where people can view ongoing testing of water, soil, and screen results since the aftermath of the fire.
"With respect to all of the information that's being put out, it is information that we're being transparent so that people would know what we know. It also speaks to the importance of continued testing and monitoring," said Ric Encarnacion with Environmental Health.
"The community wants to know they want to be informed so they can make their best assessment for what's going on for them," said Nicole Gillott, who works in Moss Landing.
I asked if there were any updates on Assembly Bill 303 -- a bill Assembly Member Dawn Addis introduced to improve safety and restore local oversight for energy storage facilities.
"No updates from the environmental health bureau with regards to pending codes, but if there are any updated codes that would pass and that would affect the local activities, definitely the environmental health bureau would be involved with regards to anything related to hazardous material storage or management," said Encarnacion.
The big question on everyone's mind here is, will Vistra bring the plant back online once the cleanup is complete? Vistra did not have an answer.