Augusta communities speak out against Solvay chemical plant expansion

Augusta, GA — Residents, environmental organizations, and members of local faith communities joined a virtual hearing last night held by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to convey concerns about a chemical plant’s plans to significantly expand its operations and drastically increase toxic air emissions in Augusta and surrounding areas.

Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, LLC operates a large chemical plant in South Augusta in the middle of a predominantly Black community and where half of the population earns a lower income. Decades of legacy pollution in the surrounding areas have led to residents facing serious health problems, including asthma and other respiratory conditions, increased risk of heart disease, and a lower overall life expectancy.

Solvay’s facility is a major source of hazardous air pollutants, with the potential to emit approximately 50 tons of hazardous air pollutants per year, including more than 25 tons of toxic chlorobenzene, if allowed to expand operations.

With nearly 80 people in attendance, hearing participants asked state regulators questions about public health implications, citing Augusta’s air quality issues and high asthma rates, and how the plant’s emissions would further impact Augusta’s noncompliance status with federal air pollution standards. The Augusta metro area has been named by the American Lung Association as one of the nation’s worst 25 metro areas for particle pollution, and the worst in the southeastern United States.

SELC submitted written comments on behalf of Savannah Riverkeeper and 13 local organizations and churches, pointing out that Solvay has been improperly classified as a minor rather than major source of criteria pollutants, and that there are significant issues with Solvay’s compliance with the Clean Air Act more broadly.

“Especially given the potential for additional significant pollution, Solvay should be classified as a major source and held to stricter emissions standards,” said SELC Staff Attorney Patrick Anderson. “EPD must deny this permit or, at the very least, address the glaring issues and lack of information the company has provided and release a revised draft permit for additional public notice and comment.”

“Our communities have heard from the company that they want to be a good neighbor, but the permit application omits a huge swath of relevant data and critical information about how much more pollution Augustans will be subjected to,” said Savannah Riverkeeper Tonya Bonitatibus. “We are asking EPD to require Solvay to provide all of the information in its application to the public before allowing any expansion to move forward.”