The Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), located in Bryan County, Georgia, allegedly failed to meet wastewater processing and disposal since September 2024.
According to a news article, the city of Savannah agreed to treat HMGMA’s industrial wastewater temporarily as the Bryan County treatment facility was being built.
The HMGMA facility began pumping its industrial wastewater on September 3, 2024, to the Travis Field Water Reclamation Facility. However, within weeks city technicians discovered that the wastewater exceeded allowable limits of copper and zinc.
In anticipation of Hurricane Helene, the city shut down operations at the Travis Field plant on September 26. A news article stated that was the last time the plant received wastewater from the HMGMA facility.
According to Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK), documents obtained through the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) revealed at least four months of trucking wastewater off-site.
ORK states that the original plan, agreed to by the city of Savannah, Hyundai, JDA and state and local regulators, was to send the industrial wastewater via 24 miles of purpose-laid pipe to the Travis Field facility.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) became aware of HMGMA’s alternative approach and sent a letter of concern. The letter detailed potential issues with having industrial wastewater hauled away in tanker trucks, including the need for the wastewater to still meet pretreatment standards at the individual treatment facilities in the state.
According to ORK, it is unclear where the trucks were taking the wastewater, what pretreatment standards those locations require and whether HMGMA can meet those standards.
ORK stated that EPD issued a Notice of Violation following initial inquiries with HMGMA.
It remains unclear if HMGMA has met pretreatment standards or if the city began receiving the wastewater again.
