The Army Corps of Engineers has announced plans to reassess its environmental permit for Hyundai’s $7.6 billion electric vehicle (EV) plant in Ellabell, Georgia, following complaints from a conservation group about potential impacts on the area’s water supply. Hyundai’s project involves withdrawing up to 6.6 million gallons of water daily from a crucial underground aquifer, a detail that was not initially disclosed, prompting the need for reassessment.
Army Corps’ decision to revisit the permit follows a notice from the Ogeechee Riverkeeper conservation group, which indicated in June that it intended to sue if the agency did not address the permit’s oversight. Meanwhile, the group’s legal director, Ben Kirsch, expressed concerns about the concentrated water pumping and its potential effects on local domestic and agricultural wells, natural springs, wetlands, tributaries, and streams.
The Hyundai plant, which is set to be the largest economic development project in Georgia’s history, is scheduled to begin production by the end of the year. It will be located on a 2,900-acre site in Bryan County, west of Savannah, producing both EVs and their batteries. The South Korean automaker aims to employ 8,000 workers at the facility.
On Friday, the Army Corps issued letters that do not mandate any immediate delays or disruptions to the ongoing construction at the site. The agency stated that it initially authorized the filling or dredging of 221 acres of wetlands at the plant site in October 2022, relying on information provided by state and local economic developers. The Corps is now reviewing its earlier finding that the project would have “negligible impacts” on water supplies.
Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, the name given to the Georgia factory, has pledged to assist with the reassessment process. The company emphasized its commitment to ensuring that its operations do not negatively impact local water resources.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division is currently reviewing public comments on draft permits for four new wells to supply the Hyundai plant. The state agency has concluded that the plant’s water withdrawals will lower aquifer levels by up to 19 feet (5.8 meters) for private wells within 5 miles (8 kilometers). However, it has assured that most wells will not be affected due to their deeper reach.
Trip Tollison, president and CEO of the Savannah Area Economic Development Authority, which played a key role in bringing Hyundai to Georgia, expressed confidence that his team would promptly submit the updated information requested by the Army Corps. He anticipated that the reassessment would not delay the project.
The Ogeechee Riverkeeper hopes the Army Corps’ reassessment will provide further insights into the state regulators’ findings and address concerns about the project’s environmental impact.
