The Monterey County Department of Health continues testing near the site of . The county released preliminary findings Jan. 31, reporting that eight sites were tested near the battery plant searching for cobalt, manganese, copper and nickel.

“The preliminary results suggest that emissions from the impacted surface soil in and around Site 8, where all four heavy metals exceeded screening levels in XRF Scan 4,” the county’s report read. “Preliminary results for metals at Sites 1 through 7 are below screening levels, except for cobalt.”

Officials with the Monterey County Department of Environmental Health could not give a timeline on how long testing would take.

“These are screening results, they’re not to be taken as final results or a final conclusion,” said Ric Encarnacion, the director of the county Department of Environmental Health, during a county briefing on Wednesday. “We’re also looking in the surrounding communities to make a full assessment.”