Richmond Hill residents raise concerns over proposed nickel refinery

On September 29, 2024, a fire broke out at the Bio-Lab Inc. facility in Conyers dumping pollution and smoke into the front yard of Jennifer Fuqua and her family.

They moved to Richmond Hill in pursuit of clean air and a safe environment for their daughter, but a proposed nickel refinery might change all that.

Fuqua spoke on The Ron Show about her concerns for the protected wetlands of her community and the environmental consequences of a nickel refinery.

“I think I’m really for creating strong American jobs and kind of rebuilding this domestic industry, but placing a nickel refinery in this environmentally sensitive coastal community does not make any sense to me,” she said. 

Last week, the Development Authority of Bryan County informed Westwin Elements that it would decline all requests for incentives and development bond issuances, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

However, the move does not prevent Westwin from converting the manufacturing facility, which was previously a quartz countertop maker, into a refinery.

“Westwin remains focused on progressing our project in Richmond Hill,” Westwin founder and chief executive KaLeigh Long said in a statement to The Current. “Westwin is committed to raising the average wage for Bryan County residents.”

Concerns surrounding the refining process, specifically the use of one of the most toxic chemicals in the industry, have been posed by opponents as well as frustrations regarding the secrecy of the project.

The refinery site is around two miles from a large residential community and three miles from a school complex.

“The Westwin CEO has kind of gone over her plan to keep all of this contained, but from my experience, accidents can happen, and when that happens, it affects everyone,” Fuqua said.