Hyundai factory in Georgia faces renewed scrutiny over water supply
The complaints themselves specifically address the initial application for the project never mentioning the plan to withdraw up to 25 million litres of water per day from the local underground aquifer, which is also the biggest regional source of drinking water. This was discovered when the Georgia Environmental Protection Division considered a proposal for four new wells to supply water to the factory, causing the Army Corps to revisit its finding that the project would have “negligible impacts.”
“The concentration of that pumping in one area is going to have some impacts locally, such as on domestic and agricultural wells,” said Ben Kirsch, the riverkeeper group’s legal director. “The big question we’ve had throughout all this is what impact will it have on other resources resources — natural springs in the area, wetlands, tributaries and streams.”
Despite revisiting the complaints, the “Army Corps ordered no delays or disruptions to construction at the plant site as a result of its permit reassessment.”
“At this time the permit is still valid and we have not requested that the permittee stop work,” Cheri Dragos-Pritchard, a spokesperson for the Army Corps’ Savannah District, said by email Monday. She said it wasn’t known how long the additional review might take.
The opening of the planned factory was already postponed at the beginning of the year, with Hyundai planning to open it in the fourth quarter of 2024. Since then, Hyundai announced plans to manufacture the Ioniq 5 there, which would get around import tariffs, as well as qualify the vehicle for the $7,500 federal tax credit. Just a few days ago, Hyundai announced that it was planning to focus on hybrid vehicles together with its subsidiary Genesis, doubling their current lineup of hybrid cars. As a result, the Ioniq 5 will likely be joined by hybrid models on the production lines. Hyundai has confirmed that the core Hyundai brand is aiming for a range of 21 all-electric car models by 2030 in parallel with the growing full hybrid range. Hyundai also wants to manufacture batteries in Georgia and has even set up a joint venture with SK On to do so in the US state.
Hyundai has responded with a statement saying that it will assist as needed to ensure the Army Corps gets the information it needs. The ongoing investigation is not likely to impact the opening of the factory, at least from the legislative side, as Sara Lips, spokesperson for the state Environmental Protection Division, stated that “the extra scrutiny ” “The extra scrutiny by the federal government is “unlikely to impact or delay” a final decision by Georgia regulators on whether to permit wells for the Hyundai project,” according to an ABC News report. Georgia’s environmental agency had previously issued draft permits in July for the four wells to supply Hyundai’s manufacturing efforts.
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