Queen Creek and Pinal County supervisors have approved a development on a 650 acre parcel located at the intersection of Ironwood Road and Germann Road. This change to "employment opportunity" has allowed an electric car battery manufacturing plant to consider this location for a 1 million square foot plant for both creation and recycling waste batteries. 

The creation of electric car batteries is an environmentally dirty process. Activities generally produce emissions from particulate matter and air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion such as greenhouse gases and nitrogen oxide. Lithium batteries and their production entails high CO2 emissions.

Overall, it has been found that battery electric vehicle (BEV) technologies require more energy and electricity that internal combustion vehicles. When comparing BEVs, emissions of green house gases, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter from BEV production is almost double compared to the emissions from internal combustion production. This is largely due to the high energy demands required for battery production. 

ES America LLC, tied to LG Energy Solutions, has also stated that they would create a recycling system for reusing waste batteries. This is even more damaging. Electric battery recycling results in toxic emissions, nuisance odors, increased traffic, and fire/life safety concerns. While there are federal regulations regarding the discharge of metal pollutants, such as chromium, lead, and iron, into wastewater systems, it will still occur in our community. And if it's not tightly watched, it could become a serious health issue. And by then, it will be too late for those that are affected. 

What does this mean for the residents of Queen Creek and San Tan Valley? 

1. Dirty air. More pollution, and possible particulate that could harm individuals. Noxious odors from batteries could become a daily presence. Lithium-ion battery manufacturing requires the use of combustion equipment. This equipment produces green house gas emissions and pollutant emissions.

2. Possible soil/groundwater/wastewater contamination. We live in a place that does not have an unending supply of water. Contaminating our groundwater will put lives in danger and cause a reduced availability of water to residents.

3. Loss of property value. EVERY resident would be required to disclose the plant to potential buyers, who may decide not to purchase due to it's location.

4. Potential health threats. The discharges from the battery plant can harm individuals of every age range, but particularly the senior citizen communities that is literally across the street. 

5. Increased traffic. The traffic on Ironwood is already bad, but this manufacturing facility will add 2800 cars and numerous semi's containing hazardous materials on a regular basis.

6. Light pollution. A facility of this size would create another flood of lights in an area that has been fortunate enough up to now to retain some semblance of the viewable night sky.

7. Loss of views of the Superstition Mountains. 

8. Years of construction at a major artery of San Tan Valley. Queen Creek has agreed to build additional water & wastewater infrastructure and road improvements to support the facility. This could create a disruption of services currently provided to the residents in the vicinity.

9. The danger involved with the materials used to make and recycle these batteries. The mixture used is known to explode when handled incorrectly. This becomes a public hazard for those living nearby or for that matter, anyone who drives by.

10. One of the materials used in the creation is monazite. Monazites contain thorium, a naturally occurring radioactive metal, and its associated decay products, which can include radium. This is a radioactive material that would be brought into our community.

The risks involved with this facility far outweigh any monetary gains to the city and county.  The boards that approved this measure re-classified this land after annexing it to "urban employment". But this facility is clearly Industrial Manufacturing, and should not be permitted to be within the boundaries of residential homes. The Boards are citing confidentiality when it comes to publicly available project code names disclosed in the early stages of the agreement and declined to provide any identifying details. Why? Is it because they knew that this was something the residents won't want in their back yard? Are they trying to sneak something in behind our backs?

The residents of Queen Creek and San Tan Valley don't need this facility in our community. Let's keep our area safe for ourselves and our future. Lets tell Pinal County and Queen Creek to stop this facility before it becomes too late!