COVINGTON, Ga.— One of the four state-sponsored Rivian Project Planning Committees is set to begin its work Monday, April 18, when the panel responsible for site design and environmental matters meets in Monroe.
The Site Design and Environmental committee is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. meeting at Athens Technical College's Monroe campus at 212 Bryant Road.
Its membership includes Newton County businessmen Ed Hutter of Hutter & Associates and Randy Vinson of Live/Work Building Co. LLC; and Barbara Schlageter, planning and zoning administrator for the city of Social Circle.
Its "mission statement" is to "have subject matter experts provide feedback to ensure that Rivian’s site and operation meets requisite state, federal and local ordinances to protect the environment and communities."
It also is responsible for providing "feedback on site design such that design and operation maximize positive impacts on the community and minimize any negative impacts."
Other members include staff lead John Eunice, deputy director of the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources; assistant staff lead Charna Parker, director of Walton County Planning and Development; and members James Boylan, assistant branch chief of the Air Protection Branch of Georgia Environmental Protection Division; Chuck Jarrell, director of the Morgan County Planning Department; Betty Jean Jordan, PE, owner of Polyscape LLC in Monticello; and Anna Truszczynski, chief of the Watershed Protection Branch of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
State officials said the meetings are open to the public and include up to 30 minutes of public comment — two minutes of remarks per speaker — for the committee's first and third meetings Monday and May 18, both at 5:30 p.m. at Athens Technical College's Monroe campus.
Other Site Design and Environmental Committee meetings are set for May 2 and 25, both at the same time and location as the others.
The state government announced formation of the committees in mid-March "to ensure public input into a variety of factors involved in the planning stages" for the Rivian project at Stanton Springs North.
Committee members came from throughout the four Joint Development Authority (JDA) counties as part of the state-sponsored planning process for the 2,000-acre site which is partly in Social Circle and unincorporated Morgan and Walton counties.
The other planning committees are Workforce Development and Local Business Engagement, while the remaining planning committee, Quality of Life, is actually three subcommittees called Civic Engagement, Public Benefits and Land Conservation.
State officials plan to update the website www.georgia.org/rivian with other committee and subcommittee meeting times and dates as they are finalized, they said.
NEWTON COUNTY WELL REPRESENTED
The other planning committees also will include participation from a number of Newton County-area business and government leaders, including:
• Workforce Development committee:
-Asher Dozier, vice president of economic development for Newton County Industrial Development Authority;
-Newton County School Superintendent Samantha Fuhrey;
-Oxford College Dean Douglas Hicks;
-Social Circle City Schools Superintendent Robbie Hooker
• Local Business Engagement committee:
-District 112 State Rep. Dave Belton, R-Buckhead, whose district includes part of Newton County;
-Ron Carter, coordinator of the Regional Visitor Information Center of the city of Covington;
-Debbie Harper, president of the Newton Chamber of Commerce;
• Public Benefits subcommittee:
-Social Circle Mayor David Keener;
-David Kent, CEO of Piedmont Newton Hospital;
• Land Conservation subcommittee:
-David Hays of Covington, board member of Georgia Water & Soil Conservation District, Upper Ocmulgee River;
-Thom Litts of Covington, assistant director of Wildlife Resources Division of Georgia Department of Natural Resources;
-Mike Worley, president and CEO of the Georgia Wildlife Federation in Covington.
State Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said in February the state government was taking charge of the Rivian project in agreement with the JDA, which was the developer of part of the site.
The action also allowed state officials to work on the planned 16-million-square-foot project without having to go through local planning agencies.
However, officials said the state of Georgia will ensure the project will follow locally required standards pertaining to water quality, groundwater recharge and runoff, and all local environmental ordinances.
The requirements "will be built into the overarching agreement between the state of Georgia, the JDA, and Rivian," officials stated.
"Additionally, conserving buffers, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation around the site is a high priority for local partners and Rivian. (The department) is ready and willing to partner with local conservation organizations and area elected officials in pursuing this goal," the release stated.
