Riverkeeper fights air permit for plant that promises 125 jobs

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Savannah Riverkeeper submitted an argument in opposition to an air allow for a corporation that plans to open a plant right here.

The $340 million metallic recycling and secondary smelting facility by German firm Aurubis guarantees 125 jobs.

Aurubis has filed an air allow request with Georgia’s Environmental Safety Division.

Within the Savannah Riverkeeper’s public remark, the group highlights Aurubis’ request to launch what it calls “greater than 30 hazardous pollution into the air that the folks of Augusta breathe.”

“The listing contains issues from arsenic to o-Xylene that, if permitted, could be launched ‘in and across the facility,’” the Savannah Riverkeper stated.

The American Lung Affiliation’s “State of our Air” report has ranked Augusta twenty eighth worst within the nation for year-round particulate air pollution ranges. Town moved up seven spots on that listing in only a yr.

The Savannah Riverkeeper stated its analysis and advocacy unit uncovered an inventory of federal Useful resource Conservation and Restoration Act violations filed in opposition to Aurubis.

“These RCRA violations filed in opposition to Aurubis’ Buffalo, New York facility point out that Aurubis’ dealing with of the poisonous chemical compounds it makes use of and produces was unsafe, presenting a hazard to the area people and Aurubis’ staff,” the Riverkeeper stated Wednesday in a information launch.

Aurubis will construct its facility on 150 acres at Augusta Company Park.

Operations are anticipated to start by the primary half of 2024, and the corporate plans to start hiring as quickly as summer time 2022. Folks fascinated about jobs with Aurubis are inspired to go to www.aurubis.com/en/profession/jobs.

Aurubis is a world supplier of non-ferrous metals and one of many largest copper recyclers worldwide. The corporate processes advanced metallic concentrates, scrap metals, natural and inorganic metal-bearing recycling supplies, and industrial residues into metals.

The corporate produces greater than 1 million tons of copper cathodes yearly, and from them makes a wide range of merchandise akin to wire rod, steady solid shapes, profiles and flat rolled merchandise.

Aurubis produces plenty of different metals, as properly, together with treasured metals, selenium, lead, nickel, tin and zinc. The portfolio additionally contains further merchandise akin to sulfuric acid and iron silicate.

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