The Georgia Environmental Protection Division Watershed Protection Branch announced Tuesday it would hold a meeting to provide information about potential groundwater impacts from the requested groundwater withdrawals for water supply to the Bryan County Metaplant.
The meeting is set for 6-9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26 at Southeast Bulloch High School.
Bulloch County submitted an application to EPD for two Floridan aquifer wells to be sited in Bulloch, asking for up to 3.125 million gallons a day on an annual average. Bryan County has submitted an application to EPD for two Floridan aquifer wells that also would be sited in Bulloch County, asking for up to 3.5 mgd on an annual average.
According to the release from Georgia EPD, the cumulative total of 6.625 mgd on an annual average will be used to provide water to the Bryan County Metaplant in Ellabell, where Hyundai Motor Group is building a manufacturing plant that is projected to produce more than 300,000 electric vehicles per year at full production.
At the Feb. 26 meeting, EPD will present results from multiple hydrologic models it performed to determine the impacts expected from the Floridan aquifer withdrawal and provide a regional overview of the impact on the Floridan aquifer.
Also, EPD said they will make available an interactive map that will show the potential modeled impact at specific locations, such as at residential or agricultural wells.
According to the release, EPD has prepared draft special conditions for the groundwater withdrawal permits for comments from area residents.
The proposed draft special conditions may be found on the EPD website at: https://epd.georgia.gov/water-withdrawalpermitting.
In addition to the meeting, residents and other interested parties may send written comments to: EPDComments@dnr.ga.gov or mailed to:
Environmental Protection Division, Watershed Protection Branch, Suite 1470A East Tower, 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., Atlanta, GA 30334.
The EPD requests all emails include the words “Groundwater Applications for Bryan County Mega-Site” in the subject line to help ensure that comments are forwarded to the correct staff.
The comment period closes on Friday, March 8.