LANSING, Mich. — A group of state Senate and House Republican leaders on Thursday sent a letter to Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Acting Director Aaron Keatley requesting the agency make public all of the documents detailing the environmental impacts of the Gotion battery plant project near Big Rapids.
“Many important environmental concerns and questions have been raised and gone unanswered as this divisive project bulldozes forward. We feel strongly — especially given the millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded state incentives being thrown at this development — that it is necessary and overdue for EGLE to start providing answers to those questions,” said Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township.
The letter states, “With all of these concerns continuing to grow, especially among the local residents who will be most impacted by the effects and consequences of this project, it is all the more necessary for your department to publicly provide all of the documents detailing the environmental impacts of this project. These documents should detail the daily, massive water withdrawals that will occur from local watersheds, the geotechnical evaluation, and any other reviews or assessments that have been conducted by the local, state, or federal governments.”
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