Community Matters

April 24, 2026 Interview with Mr. Michael Polkabla, Senior Industrial Hygienist with BioMax Environmental t

Mr. Michael Polkabla describes the initial County of Monterey and EPA responses to the January 16, 2025 Moss 300 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Fire, how he worked with the Community to organize the widespread surface sampling for heavy metals and helped publish the results on the Never Again Moss Landing website.  Watch for his forthcoming professional paper.  https://neveragainmosslanding.org/resources/

April 17, 2026 Interview with Mr. Ed Mitchell, Lead Investigator for Never Again Moss Landing

Mr. Ed Mitchell discusses the problems with the Vistra Moss 300 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility that contributed to the fire disaster on January 16, 2025, why it is good news Vistra is now decommissioning the Moss 100 BESS facility, and his thoughts on the Santa Cruz County BESS Draft Ordinance. https://neveragainmosslanding.org/

February 27, 2026 Interview with Cabrillo College President Dr. Jenn Capps & Mkting. Director Ms. Kristin Fabos; 2nd Hour: Mr. Lee Butler, Planning Director for City of Santa Cruz

Hour One: Meet the new President of Cabrillo College, Dr. Jenn Capps, joined by Marketing & Communications Director Ms. Kristin Fabos.  Dr. Capps guided the change at Humboldt University to become Cal Polytechnic Humboldt.  How does she envision Cabrillo College in the future?  I think you will like what you hear! https://www.cabrillo.edu/president/ [https://www.cabrillo.edu/president/] Hour Two: Mr. Lee Butler, Planning Director for the City of Santa Cruz, explains why downtown areas are changing and what we can expect in the future.  State legislation has robbed local jurisdictions like Santa Cruz of discretion in large projects.  Developers are now more interested in building and the City is interested in building an economically vibrant downtown area that will bring 1600 new living units on board, with 320 of them deemed "affordable".  Listen in and learn how you can get involved in projects in your neighborhood...early!  Mr. Butler's background:  https://takistalk.com/lee-butler-santa-cruz/ [https://takistalk.com/lee-butler-santa-cruz/] City Projects: https://www.santacruzca.gov/Government/City-Departments/Community-Development/Current-Planning/Significant-Projects-Planning https://www.santacruzca.gov/Government/City-Departments/Community-Development/Long-Range-Policy-Planning/Ordinance-Policy-Updates/Downtown-Plan-Expansion

February 20, 2026 Interviews Bob Broussard re: S.C.C. Civil Grand Jury; Dr. Mijin Cha re: BESS and environmental justice

Hour One: Mr. Bob Broussard, current Foreperson of the Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury, describes the work of the Civil Grand Jury, the investigations that lead to improved local government and how people can volunteer to participate in the 2026-2027 Civil Grand Jury. https://www.santacruz.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil-grand-jury [https://www.santacruz.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil-grand-jury]   Hour Two: Dr. Mijin Cha, UCSC Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies, affiliate faculty in the legal studies department [https://legalstudies.ucsc.edu/], and on the Faculty Advisory Board at the UCSC Center for Labor and Community. [https://labor.ucsc.edu/] She is also a Fellow at Cornell University’s Climate Jobs Institute  [https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/climate-jobs-institute] and authored the book A Just Transition for All: Workers and Communities for a Carbon-Free Future was published by MIT Press in Dec. 2024 https://mijincha.com/about-me/ Dr. Cha discusses the implications of transitioning energy sources from fossil fuel  to solar and wind, but cautions the real implications of the battery energy storage systems (BESS)  required that may merely shift the health and safety risks as well as pollution related to mineral mining to other disenfranchised communities.  She emphasizes the importance of full and early engagement of the Communities affected to support social and environmental justice and government transparency, focusing on the People more than the profits related. Please visit "People of Red Mountain" re: Lithium mining on sacred Tribal lands: https://peopleofredmountain.com/

February 13, 2026 Interview with Dr. Xiaoliang Wang re: Moss Landing Battery Fire and Toxins; Update on Santa Cruz County Draft BESS Ordinance; A Voice for Mila B.

Hour One: Dr. Xiaoliang Wang, Director of Atmospheric Sciences Graduate Program at University of Nevada, Reno, is the principal investigator of projects to study lithium-ion battery fire emissions and suppression, vehicle tailpipe and non-tailpipe (brake, tire, and road wear) emissions, emissions from mining fleets, industrial stacks, and fugitive dust sources in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region in Alberta, Canada. https://www.dri.edu/directory/xiaoliang-wang/ [https://www.dri.edu/directory/xiaoliang-wang/]   What about the data gaps in the Region 9 EPA air quality monitoring at the Moss Landing Battery Fire, January 16-18, 2025? View his presentation at the 7/24/2025 State Fire Marshal BESS Safety Symposium regarding the Moss Landing Battery Fire (begin at Minute 6:48:30): Battery Energy Storage Systems Fire Safety Symposium [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q4x62Ni2Zk] Hour Two: Update on Santa Cruz County Draft BESS Ordinance with caller contribution.  Also, an interview with Ms. Mila Boiko...her journey to help her daughter and an elderly woman...and what she has learned about "the system".