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

When a massive fire erupted at one of the world's largest lithium-ion battery storage facilities in Monterey County, it didn't just send a toxic plume of smoke over nearby communities — it cast a shadow of doubt over the future of California's clean energy industry.

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,