U.S. regulators have finished a months-long review of the environmental permit for Hyundai’s $7.6 billion electric vehicle plant in Georgia, determining that no changes are necessary.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reopened its review last August after the Ogeechee Riverkeeper, a conservation group, threatened legal action. The group had raised concerns that regulators failed to consider how the factory’s use of up to 6.6 million gallons of water daily could affect the region’s primary drinking water supply.
In a March 25 memo sent to the Georgia Department of Economic Development and local officials who applied for the plant’s original permit in 2022, the Army Corps said no revisions were needed.
“The impacts on the environment as a result of this permit have been evaluated and found to be insignificant,” the memo stated.
The Army Corps concluded that the EV plant would have “a long-term minor effect” on the area's drinking water supply. This wording slightly shifts from the agency’s 2022 findings, which said the impact would be “negligible.”
Hyundai began EV production six months ago at its massive 2,900-acre plant in Bryan County, west of Savannah. The site currently employs about 1,200 workers. Last month, Hyundai celebrated the plant’s opening and announced plans to expand its production capacity by two-thirds, aiming to manufacture 500,000 vehicles annually.
The federal permit, issued to state and local economic developers in 2022, allowed for the filling or dredging of 221 acres of wetlands at the site, shortly after Hyundai revealed its plans for the factory.
Notably, the original permit application did not specify how much water the factory would consume. The Ogeechee Riverkeeper has voiced concerns that the plant’s water usage could draw from wells used by farmers, as well as nearby streams and wetlands.
Ben Kirsch, legal director for the Riverkeeper group, said they have requested additional records from the Army Corps to better understand the decision and the shift in language regarding water impacts.
“We do not yet know what, if any, ramifications will come from that,” Kirsch said in a statement. “Until we review that decision document, we cannot offer substantive comments, but we continue to monitor actions around this permit closely.”
Bianca Johnson, a spokesperson for Hyundai’s Georgia operations, declined to comment.
Meanwhile, state and local officials who helped bring Hyundai to Georgia praised the Army Corps for its “thorough” review.
In a joint statement, the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Savannah area’s Joint Development Authority said they “remain dedicated to supporting industry and agriculture while protecting and preserving the environment.”