Bryan County, Richmond Hill launch investigation into alleged contamination at proposed refinery site

BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - Bryan County and Richmond Hill officials announced today, Feb. 4, 2026, that they will jointly investigate alleged environmental contamination at the site of a proposed nickel refinery after the company’s CEO made public claims about toxic waste on the property.

The investigation comes after Westwin Elements CEO KaLeigh Long stated at a February 2 town hall meeting that the property at 1 Caesarstone Drive contains “significant silica contamination,” “elevated levels of arsenic,” and “hazardous waste barrels” scattered across the site, according to a joint statement released by both governments.

Both the Bryan County Board of Commissioners and Richmond Hill’s Mayor and Council voted unanimously to authorize the joint investigation and potential enforcement action under state law and local ordinances.

Investigation and enforcement plans

Officials said they will immediately begin investigating the contamination allegations and will pursue remediation efforts if the claims prove true.

“If it is true that the Property has significant environmental contamination, the County and City will jointly pursue remediation efforts, ensure any public nuisance caused by any environmental contamination is appropriately abated, and will hold the responsible parties accountable,” the statement said.

The City of Richmond Hill will also evaluate whether any conditions impact its zoning ordinances, permitting, land use and comprehensive planning during the investigation.

Officials said the investigation process will take time and that evidence will guide future action. They committed to transparency and said they will jointly update the public when information becomes available.

The property sits within Richmond Hill city limits but is in Bryan County.

Background on contamination claims

Long’s contamination statements at the town hall meeting raised new legal concerns for county officials, including whether the site could qualify as a public nuisance under state law.

County Attorney Aaron Kappler previously told commissioners the contamination allegations were “new facts, new circumstances and new allegations” that had not been brought to the board or county administration before.

Under state law, contaminated property cannot be transferred or sold until environmental remediation is complete.

The investigation announcement follows weeks of controversy surrounding the Westwin Elements nickel refinery project, which first appeared publicly in Bryan County in January.