On a quiet Sunday afternoon in the small town of Rutledge, Georgia, over 100 people opposing Rivian Automotive, an up-and-coming electric vehicle manufacturer, gathered in a community effort to protest the California-based company’s expansion into their neighborhood.
The Sept. 11 rally, organized by members of the thousands-large Facebook group “Our Communities Oppose Rivian Assembly Plant,” was held in a barn just two miles from the 2,000-acre site of Rivian’s plant, which is supported by over $5 billion worth of investment.
Rivian, Hyundai and Korean battery recycler SungEel HiTech Co. are all examples of prominent EV businesses flocking to Georgia. Gov. Brian P. Kemp, using tax cuts and incentive packages worth millions of dollars to draw in such companies, is determined to secure Georgia’s foothold as a manufacturing powerhouse in the flourishing EV market.
Why It’s Newsworthy: New initiatives to bring the electric vehicle industry into Northeast Georgia could strengthen the economy in rural communities near Athens, but could also harm rural communities’ ecosystems and way of life.
Once Rivian begins production in 2024, officials estimate that about 400,000 vehicles per year could be manufactured, creating about 7,500 new jobs in the largely agricultural towns of Rutledge and Social Circle.
Not all residents in the area, however, are happy about Rivian’s presence.
Local politicians, community activists and a team of environmental lawyers all joined the crew of speakers at the Sept. 11 rally. JoEllen Artz, a No2Rivian group member, urged the crowd to donate to the group’s legal efforts as they prepare to file lawsuits against the company.
“This is David and Goliath, and David still has a stack of stones and a good slingshot, but Goliath doesn’t need to know how many stones David has,” Artz said.
Legal Issues Threaten Expansion
No2Rivian has threatened lawsuits against the Joint Development Authority of Jasper, Morgan, Newton and Walton counties, the board owning the site where Rivian’s plant will be located, for months. Their legal strategy includes fighting the JDA’s practice of incentivizing Rivian through means such as payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT payments, which could exempt the company from any personal or real property taxes. Recently, however, Rivian and its supporters suffered a major blow to their progress at the hands of the Morgan County Superior Court.
On Sept. 29, Morgan County Superior Court Judge Brenda Trammell ruled against Rivian and the JDA when she refused to grant a bond agreement that would allow Rivian to avoid millions of dollars in property taxes. Rivian and the JDA plan to appeal Trammell’s decision, but until the bonds are granted, construction on the site has been put on hold.
Trammell confirmed in her decision that “the State did no analysis as to the impact the Rivian plant would have on the local communities and the additional expenses of government services” and asserted that Rivian should pay normal property taxes to support healthy growth and increased infrastructure in the rural communities around it.
Morgan County politician and No2Rivian group member Blake McCormack cites reasons such as disturbance of the natural ecosystem, air, water, and light pollution, and increased urban sprawl and traffic as reasons why Rivian’s presence in rural towns could do more harm than good. McCormack, a member of the Republican party, plans to run for Morgan County District 2 Commissioner in the upcoming midterm elections. Andy Ainslie, Morgan County District 2’s current Commissioner and JDA Vice President, will not be seeking another term.
“[The government] thinks which you could destroy this atmosphere so long as you save one other one some place else,” says McCormack. “It doesn’t make sense for us…we’ve among the lowest unemployment within the state. No person has been in a position to sit down and present me what the profit to the group will likely be.”
College of Georgia environmental economist Susana Ferreira agrees that whereas the plant would “actually assist” the group’s economic system, its potential to impression locals’ lifestyle may very well be nice.
“There are going to be native impacts, that’s fairly clear. As a neighbor, I wouldn’t be pleased concerning the elevated visitors and air pollution, however it doesn’t matter what, it’s going to be in anyone’s yard,” mentioned Ferreira.
Chas Moore, a Rutledge resident and administrator of the “Our Communities Oppose Rivian Meeting Plant” group, understands the enterprise incentive however nonetheless opposes the plant.
“We’re enterprise house owners and we perceive development. That is an space of entrepreneurs, however there’s simply no infrastructure to guard one thing of this scale,” Moore mentioned.
Potential Environmental Impression
A latest Development of Regional Impact report performed by the Northeast Georgia Regional Fee cautioned that hazardous waste may very well be launched as a byproduct of Rivian’s manufacturing, and suggested that further security measures be applied to guard the atmosphere.
The report additionally discovered that 92% of the plant’s web site is situated in a “conservation space,” and that development might impression ingesting water high quality and hurt surrounding wetlands. The JDA, nonetheless, contends that each one acceptable measures are being taken to protect the integrity of the location’s pure environment.
When contacted, press representatives for the JDA didn’t provide remark.
Neighborhood Help
An independently-conducted poll sponsored by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce discovered that simply 54% of residents inside the 4 counties have been conscious of the Rivian venture. Of that 54%, nonetheless, the ballot discovered a “2-to-1 benefit in help amongst those that realize it, with 49% of conscious voters supporting it, and 24% opposing it.” The ballot surveyed 450 individuals inside the 4 counties.
State leaders even have excessive hopes for the constructive results that Rivian may have for future generations of Northeast Georgia residents. The JDA and different Rivian representatives have acquired dozens of letters of support from native authorities within the 4 county-area.
“Whereas I do know a venture of this dimension has greater than its share of challenges to beat, I wholeheartedly consider these distinctive, well-paying jobs is not going to solely enhance the lives of the Rivian staff however have a constructive impression on all enterprise within the Jasper County,” mentioned Mark Vaughn, a Jasper County resident and enterprise proprietor, in a letter of help written in February 2022.
Rivian’s impact on the economic system, atmosphere, and lifestyle inside rural Georgia communities is tough to foretell. Because the JDA and Rivian supporters insist that the corporate is crucial to revitalizing the principally agricultural economies of Jasper, Walton, Newton and Morgan counties, equally vocal opponents say that their lifestyle is treasured, and bringing in large companies and the infrastructure wanted to help them simply isn’t value it.
The way forward for Rivian’s presence in Northeast Georgia, together with its potential to impression residents’ lives for higher or worse, stays to be seen.
Josie Lipton is a senior majoring in journalism and artwork historical past.