Richmond Hill residents question proposed nickel refinery at packed town hall

RICHMOND HILL, Ga. (WTOC) - Richmond Hill residents packed a town hall Tuesday night to question a proposed nickel refinery planned for Belfast Commerce Park. Residents voiced concerns over transparency, safety and how the project was introduced to the community.

The meeting followed weeks of growing scrutiny surrounding Westwin Elements, including a cease-and-desist letter the company recently sent to Bryan County Commission Chair Carter Infinger. Westwin alleged false statements had been made about the company, though Infinger said many of those statements were not made during a public meeting.

Infinger said the county attorney responded to the letter and that no action can be taken at this time after community members asked county commissioners not to vote on the project.

Residents said they learned about the project through social media or from people Westwin Elements employed to encourage petition signatures. The company said the petition generated nearly 3,000 signatures.

“I was glad to see the community come out,” Infinger said. “I think they could have done this different…I heard a couple people say they didn’t even know what they were signing.”

Project removed from development authority agenda

Westwin Elements has since removed the project from the Bryan County Development Authority upcoming agenda, citing the need for additional public input.

Westwin’s CEO, KaLeigh Long, told residents the company plans to retrofit the existing manufacturing facility, Caesarstone, rather than build a new plant and said the operation would be largely enclosed.

She said the project would not rely on taxpayer funding, and stressed that the site needs cleanup from the hazardous materials that already exist there.

“If Westwin doesn’t do it, then who will?” she said.

Long said the process is not a traditional oil and gas refinery and would involve no open-air processing, no combustion-based refining, and no blasting, drilling or mining.

Safety concerns addressed

Executives addressed safety concerns tied to nickel carbonyl, calling it a known risk but explaining their multiple fail-safe systems, exposure protocols and coordination with local hospitals.

They said nickel carbonyl cannot survive when exposed to air and that emergency response plans would be in place.

Westwin’s Chief Operating Officer, John Shelegey, acknowledged a past fatality at a facility operated by a different company in Canada for which he previously worked. The executive said it was “avoidable” and the result of an oversight. He said new protocols have since been implemented.

Residents said they were frustrated by how they learned about the project and questioned why public engagement did not happen sooner.

“I am absolutely disappointed in our development authority,” said Richmond Hill resident Sandra Marston after learning from the CEO that Westwin Elements has been in longstanding communication with the Bryan County Development Authority and the state.

“I’m not an expert, I’m not a chemical engineer, so I can’t really talk about it…we had people who are [experts] and wanted to talk about it, but didn’t get the chance.”

Her husband, Matt Marston, added, “I just heard about it through the local Facebook groups…it kind of came as a surprise to a lot of people and this whole thing just feels like damage control.”

Ryan Peters, who lives six miles from the proposed location, said, “I understand how they can control with safeguards the air quality, because the [carbonyl] material breaks down in air, but from a soluble standpoint, it doesn’t break down.”

Peters continued, “that water is moving and it can continually move to wherever it wants to if they don’t control it.” He was there for the flooding after Hurricane Debby, and reflected on how badly the town flooded.

Economic projections outlined

The site is set to be fully operational by 2028, with mechanical completion expected in the fourth quarter of 2027, according to Westwin’s Chief Project Officer, Tayloe Compton.

“We’ve invested millions of dollars in this planned retrofit,” the CEO stated later. The company will rely on up to $230 million in bonds sold through the development authority to build the refinery, and would repay investors later through revenue.

When asked about the company’s willingness to operate in Bryan County without an incentive, she said, “yes, absolutely.”

The company executives also outlined projected economic benefits, including a minimum of 140 jobs in the first phase, an average salary of $90,000, and the potential for up to 800 jobs over seven years if all expansion phases occur in Georgia.

The company responded to questions comparing the project to nearby large-scale developments, including the Hyundai plant in Ellabell.

When a resident asked about the company’s labor practices, Long said Westwin plans to hire American workers and prioritize local labor. Though she said the company would not have full control over all vendors used during construction.

Long also said the refinery would not generate wastewater discharge and that emissions would be limited primarily to carbon dioxide, drawing pushback from some residents who asked for specific impact data that company officials said they did not have immediately available.

For now, the project remains on hold as residents await further meetings and local officials consider next steps.