Bryan County’s nickel refinery concerns continue

BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - Westwin Elements released a statement just after midnight Thursday disputing claims made by Bryan County leaders about environmental concerns at a proposed nickel refinery site.

The company wants to build a nickel refinery at the Caesarstone facility.

Bryan County leaders called a special meeting this week, saying the site could be contaminated.

Company challenges county statements

Westwin’s statement says Bryan County leaders have known about environmental concerns at the Caesarstone facility for months and that statements from Tuesday’s meeting are misleading to the public.

At Tuesday night’s special meeting, Bryan County Attorney Aaron Kappler said the environmental issues were new information.

“Those are new facts, new circumstances, and new allegations that have not yet been brought to this board, or to me, or to anyone else in the Bryan County administration,” Kappler said.

In Westwin’s statement, the company said those statements were misleading.

“Bryan County leadership is already well aware of existing environmental concerns,” Westwin Elements said in a statement.

Documents show summer meetings

Westwin said documents regarding environmental concerns were brought to the Bryan County Development Authority’s attention in the summer.

WTOC also requested audits into Westin Elements on behalf of the development authority.

One of the documents WTOC received is from a global engineering and architecture company’s evaluation of environmental information for the proposed facility shows the engineering company attended two meetings in July and September where Westwin presented information to the development authority.

“County Commissioner Gene Wallace remains on both, a DABC board member and in county leadership,” Westwin Elements said in a statement.

Congressman took courtesy meeting

Republican Congressman Buddy Carter met with Westwin Elements in May of last year.

“Rep. Carter regularly takes courtesy meetings with businesses interested in investing in Georgia, the #1 state in the nation to do business. He defers to state and local officials, along with members of the community, in determining which businesses are a good fit for their area,” said Harley Adsit, spokesperson for Rep. Buddy Carter.

Commissioner Gene Wallace has not responded to requests for comment about whether he was aware of environmental factors at the Caesarstone facility prior to recent meetings.