July–September 2026 Newsletter
Completing the Cleanup at Moss Landing
EPA recently began the final phase of battery cleanup at Vistra’s battery energy storage facility in Moss Landing, California, following the January 2025 fire at the facility. EPA is now overseeing the removal and processing of all remaining, severely damaged batteries and remnant material for transport to off-site disposal facilities. The burnt battery storage building is being demolished to allow crews to reach the remaining material.
On September 18, a portion of the damaged batteries remaining in the fire-impacted Moss Landing 300 building caught on fire. As required under their agreement with EPA, Vistra promptly activated the EPA-approved emergency response plan, which includes notifying local agencies, evacuating personnel if appropriate, and additional air monitoring and sampling, among other actions. The incident highlighted the importance of completing the cleanup and removing all the fire-damaged batteries from Moss Landing.
- KCBX Public Radio: Moss Landing Battery Fire Cleanup Enters Final Phase
- EPA News Release: EPA Begins Final Phase of Cleanup
- EPA’s Response to the Moss Landing Fire
Environmental Youth and Education Awards
EPA’s Pacific Southwest region was honored with both a President’s Environmental Youth Award and an Environmental Educator Award in 2026.
President’s Environmental Youth Award Winner
While working alongside local farmers at community gardens in her home city of Phoenix, Arizona, Sarah Bendock discovered that many farmers were struggling with extreme heat and soaring energy costs. Eager to solve both problems, Sarah started Growing Green, youth-led nonprofit that promotes and implements the use of solar panel structures to provide shade for farmers and shade-tolerant crops. Implementing these systems, also known as agrivoltaics, required Sarah to learn about system design planning, permitting, fundraising, and partnership development. She also collaborated with a Stanford optimization team to use artificial intelligence to simulate irradiance, temperature, humidity, and crop biomass under multiple design configurations, informing key decisions on panel height, array spacing, and system capacity.
Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators
Kim Alvin De Lara is an Arizona second-grade teacher and “Eco-Club” leader who strives to make environmental learning unique, fun, and exciting. He uses nature and project-based learning to teach about local environmental issues in the classroom and in his after-school program. Mr. De Lara creates engineering projects and designs challenges that address environmental issues relevant to Arizona such as water conservation, sustainable food systems, and green infrastructure. Some of these projects have included solar-powered irrigation systems, water infrastructure, and water quality monitoring. In one of his inquiry-based lessons, Mr. De Lara engages students in exploring water contamination. Students construct filters, test water samples for lead, analyze data, and present solutions. They demonstrate curiosity and excitement, deepening their understanding of environmental issues and engineering practices.
- President's Environmental Youth Award Winners
- Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators Winners
Protecting Wetlands in Communities
EPA recently announced $3.46 million in wetland grant funding to nine communities across the Pacific Southwest region. These investments in states, Tribes and Pacific Island territories support EPA’s goals of protecting and improving water quality, providing habitat for fish and other wildlife, maintaining surface water flow during dry periods, storing floodwaters, and protecting against storm surges.
- Kaua’i Now: EPA Invests in Innovative Projects
- Stormwater Solutions: EPA Awards $3.46 Million for Wetlands
- EPA News Release