ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND HEALTH DANGERS RAISE ALARMS IN QUEEN CREEK: Dirty Pay-Dirt Deal

Intro: OOOOOOpss!! This bombshell got public fast --

Hours before the council meeting, the Arizona Commerce Authority issued a release that said construction of North America’s first ever cylindrical-type battery facility will start this summer with production commencing in 2024.

But residents who spoke at the April 20 council meeting – echoing complaints made by others at another council session two weeks earlier – accused officials of ignoring their questions about the deal and giving their blessing to an operation that posed environmental and health dangers to the community.

Because the comments were made on a matter not on the agenda, council members were forbidden by law from responding to their complaints. . ."

 

FIRST ALL THE HYPE AND USUAL HAPPY TALK: It all sounds so familiar

“Global technology leaders like LG are choosing Arizona because of our world-class business environment, advanced workforce, unbeatable quality of life, and culture of innovation – one that’s delivering unparalleled opportunity for current and future generations,” Gov. Doug Ducey said.

In welcoming LG to Queen Creek, Mayor Gail Barney in the release said, “The announcement of LG Energy Solution is the culmination of years of strategic planning. It will bring thousands of local jobs to our highly skilled workforce – enhancing the quality of life our residents experience, additional infrastructure and major capital investment.

This isn’t just a win for Queen Creek, it will positively impact our region. Advanced manufacturing is a targeted sector and will be located adjacent to State Route 24. The area is planned for mixed use and will further the employment opportunities for Queen Creek, Pinal County, the greater East Valley and the state.”

Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, said the plant “solidifies the market’s position as a hub for battery technology and energy storage and is significant for Greater Phoenix as it continues to attract global leaders in emerging industries.”

(LG Energy Solution did not respond to the Tribune’s request for comment.)

Officials hail, residents condemn QC land deal

(The barren 650.5 are site at Ironwood and Germann roads sold last week at a state Land Department auction for $84.4 million to a South Korean energy company that cast the sole bid for the property. (Arizona Land Department)            

By Kathleen Stinson, Tribune Staff Writer Apr 30, 2022        Comments: 0 

> Diane McCollum of San Tan Valley said she spoke at the zoning meeting for the site and alleged, “It was not explained this would be heavy industrial.”

> Queen Creek resident Thomas Utka said at the April 20 meeting that he couldn’t believe a battery factory was going to be built across the street from two schools and vowed to vote against any incumbent seeking re-election. He said he will vote against the council members in the next election.

> Katrina Pint said 140,000 of LG’s batteries have been recalled by GM because they can catch on fire, stating, “No one is going to want to live in a contaminated area.”

> At the April 6 council meeting, several women spoke against locating a lithium battery plant in the town.They said they wondered why the town did not give them a chance to provide input on the plant during the planning process.

“Put this back on the agenda,” said San Tan Valley resident Lisa Horne. “The plant will reek of chemicals.”

> Queen Creek resident Ellen Gross said some council members have disappointed her by not living up to the vision of the town to provide a high quality of life to residents.

> Another Queen Creek resident, Linda Manning, said she did not read anything about the plant “prior to this. How did this plant get here?”

> Linda Doty of Queen Creek said, “Nobody here has seen the environmental impact statement...This is a dire situation...Where was all the input from the citizens?”

The environmental site assessment provided to the state Land Department states that Ninyo & Moore was retained to perform an environmental site assessment of the parcel.

“Based on the information compiled during the preparation of this report, this assessment has revealed no evidence of RECs, historical RECs (HRECs) or controlled RECs (CRECs) in connection with the site,” the report states.

REC is an acronym for “recognized environmental concern.”