Latest news with #GeorgiaOpenRecordsAct
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hyundai Metaplant fined $30,000 for wastewater violations
BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) — The Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) was fined $30,000 for violating wastewater regulations in April, records show. According to an enforcement order from the Environmental Protection Division (EPD), the plant was fined for discharging 'industrial wastewater to a publicly owned treatment works without an industrial pretreatment permit for such discharge.' They also reportedly utilized a sewage holding tank at the facility for purposes other than construction trailers at a construction site, the order said. By doing so, the EPD said they violated the Water Quality Control Act which regulates water quality, pollution and wastewater. The plant must now submit a corrective action plan. They were also told to 'submit all required documents to EPD Industrial Permitting Program for final action by the Director regarding an industrial pretreatment permit for discharge to the North Bryan WRF; comply with requirements for pumping and hauling Non-Process Wastewater.' A spokesperson for the Metaplant told WSAV in a statement that they 'has worked diligently with the GA-EPD on all aspects of our wastewater management issues and improvements' and that 'HMGMA has upgraded its wastewater treatment equipment and continues to work with the EPD to ensure compliance.' Residents have expressed concerns regarding the plants water usage and disposal since the beginning. Ogeechee Riverkeeper obtained documents through Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) requests, which revealed that HMGMA had been trucking wastewater off-site for a least four months in March. The City of Savannah and HMGMA had a temporary agreement where the city will treat Hyundai's wastewater until the Bryan County Wastewater Treatment Plant is done being built later this year. According to City of Savannah officials, levels of PH, solids and metals in the plant's wastewater were too high. 'In September 2024, HMGMA began discharging wastewater to the City of Savannah. Less than one month after discharge began, HMGMA, as required by permit, notified the city that our discharge amounts exceeded the limit for zinc, copper and total conductivity,' a plant spokesperson told WSAV in March. 'HMGMA immediately stopped discharging and began a root cause analysis to determine the source.' HMGMA said that they have now submitted a permit application to EPD to discharge wastewater to Bryan County, which is their long-term goal and that they have a draft permit in development. The plant began production of consumer vehicles in October. They held their grand opening in late March. You can read more about Hyundai's wastewater concerns here. Read Hyundai's May 7 statement in its entirety here: 'HMGMA has worked diligently with the GA-EPD on all aspects of our wastewater management issues and improvements. HMGMA has upgraded its wastewater treatment equipment and continues to work with the EPD to ensure compliance. In September 2024, HMGMA began discharging wastewater to the City of Savannah. Less than one month after discharge began, HMGMA, as required by permit, notified the City that our discharge amounts exceeded their limits. HMGMA immediately stopped discharging. HMGMA contracted with a specialized company to pump wastewater into tanker trucks and transport it off site to permitted facilities. We are working with EPD, Bryan County and the City of Savannah on the plans for future discharge. Recently, HMGMA submitted its permit application to EPD to discharge wastewater to Bryan County, which is the long-term goal. The permit application with EPD is complete and the draft permit is in development.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
City of Savannah facing lawsuit over public records requests
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – The City of Savannah is being sued for alleged failure to comply with open records requests related to public safety concerns at Housing Authority of Savannah properties. The complaint from the Mance law firm obtained by WSAV lists Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, the city's alderman, and the city attorney as defendants in the case. The complaint cites the defendants for, 'failure to timely provide public records in response to a lawful open records request.' 'The idea is, as the name suggests, that the public should have a preview into the dark places of government and should be able to get documents and information about the goings on of government relatively freely and without any obstructions,' Chad Mance, Owner of the Mance law firm, said. The Georgia Open Records Act is used by journalists, attorneys, and members of the general public to obtain records from public agencies. However, in this case, Mance said the City of Savannah has not been complying. 'We asked repeatedly for certain records over a number of years, and we believe there were a number of obstructions that were introduced in the process that should have never been present, and we have reason to believe that that may have been done to others as well,' Mance said. According to the complaint, the alleged obstructions include failure to provide timely access to public records, wrongful withholding of public records, and frustrating access to records. 'We sent a number of letters related to criminal activity, crime, and governmental findings in connection with that over years and years and years. Instead of getting met with complete productions or descriptions that were adequate of documents that existed or did not exist within a reasonable amount of time, we either were made to wait or had partial productions most of the time,' Mance said. Details of records requested by the Mance firm go back 5 years. They include incident reports, crime data, surveillance footage, and documentation of crime data and police activity around certain Housing Authority properties. 'There's a delicate balance between volume and expediency of disclosure to the public. What we want, is we want accountability and transparency,' Mance said. WSAV reached out to the City of Savannah for comment on this lawsuit and a spokesperson said, 'The city does not comment on active or pending litigation.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GA Legislators pass last-minute bill to limit access to police reports
ATLANTA (WSAV) – A last-minute bill introduced by Republican lawmakers in the Georgia state house that aims to limit access to police reports via open records requests has passed. Wednesday, the House Rules Committee passed an altered version of Senate Bill 12, which would reduce the amount of information that is required to be released under the Georgia Open Records Act and create a new exemption for any records or data related to the legislative branch. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Ogeechee Riverkeeper, Hyundai respond to wastewater concerns
ELLABELL, Ga. (WSAV) – The Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) and Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) have both released statements regarding wastewater concerns. ORK obtained documents through Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) requests, which reveal at least four months of HMGMA trucking wastewater off-site. According to the City of Savannah, levels of PH, solids, and metals in the plant's wastewater were too high. The City of Savannah and HMGMA have a temporary agreement where the city will treat Hyundai's wastewater until the Bryan County Wastewater Treatment Plant is done being built later this year. Documents show HMGMA obtained a permit to pre-treat the wastewater to meet the City of Savannah's standards. According to a HMGMA spokesperson, the pipes installed at the Metaplant had high levels of metal. Read HMGMA response below: 'In September 2024, HMGMA began discharging wastewater to the City of Savannah. Less than one month after discharge began, HMGMA, as required by permit, notified the city that our discharge amounts exceeded the limit for zinc, copper and total conductivity. HMGMA immediately stopped discharging and began a root cause analysis to determine the source. In the meantime, HMGMA contracted with a specialized company to pump wastewater into tanker trucks and transport it off site to permitted facilities. In late October 2024, one of the third-party contractor/haulers transported wastewater from HMGMA to a treatment plant that did not have the required permit for industrial wastewater but was permitted to accept domestic wastewater. As soon as HMGMA was made aware of this issue, all operations with said contractor were ceased. HMGMA increased its oversight of the contract company to ensure this does not happen again. HMGMA has confirmed that all treatment facilities receiving wastewater from the site since that incident have been properly classified, permitted, and authorized to treat and dispose of industrial wastewater. HMGMA has worked diligently with the GA-EPD on all aspects of our wastewater management issues and improvements. HMGMA operates an industrial wastewater treatment system and has upgraded its equipment to better address the levels found. Previously, there was not a means to treat domestic wastewater. HMGMA has now procured a dissolved air flotation (DAF) system, which is being commissioned to ensure all discharges meet permit levels. The investigation determined the pipes installed at HMGMA had elevated levels of metal that affected both domestic and industrial wastewater discharge streams. HMGMA decided the best course of action was to replace the pipes at the Metaplant. Work is expected to being soon, and we anticipate this to be completed in September. HMGMA took this issue seriously and worked diligently to find a solution. We are committed to being good environmental stewards and to adhering to all applicable laws and regulations regarding wastewater. We live and work in the Coastal Empire and have a vested interest in keeping waterways healthy.' Read the ORK statement below: 'Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) had been notified that wastewater created by the Hyundai Megasite's industrial processes has been hauled away via tanker trucks since September 2024. The original plan – agreed to by the City of Savannah, Hyundai, JDA, and state and local regulators – was to send the industrial wastewater via miles of purpose-laid pipe to the City of Savannah's wastewater treatment plant. This process quickly ceased when the wastewater did not meet the agreed-upon pretreatment standards needed for the City's facilities to be able to effectively receive and safely treat it. The wastewater exceeded acceptable standards for pH, solids, and metals including copper and zinc. As a result, the city rejected further acceptance of the wastewater until it met standards. Additionally, Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) also became aware of a potential issue with Hyundai's alternative approach. EPD sent a letter of concern, outlining potential issues with having this wastewater hauled away in tanker trucks, including the need for the wastewater to still meet the pretreatment standards at each individual public treatment facility within the State of Georgia. It is unclear where the trucks are taking the wastewater, what pretreatment standards those locations may require, and whether Hyundai can meet those standards or have received the necessary pretreatment permits. However, EPD did issue a Notice of Violation following its initial inquiries with Hyundai. Hyundai confirmed that its industrial wastewater was taken away by a number of third-party haulers. Hyundai has also since acknowledged that one hauler was taking the wastewater to a treatment plant that did not have the required permits for industrial wastewater. Hyundai said they ceased using that hauler when they learned of the issue. Meanwhile, the City of Savannah and Hyundai corresponded on the problems and how to fix them. As of mid-February 2025, it is unclear if the City of Savannah's pretreatment standards have been met by Hyundai or if the city has begun receiving the wastewater again.' Hyundai's engineering contractor, Thomas and Hutton, statement also released a statement: 'During the start-up of a manufacturing facility, calibration of pretreatment systems is normal to ensure effluent limits are met. The industrial wastewater is treated, stored, and hauled to an approved facility until calibration is complete. This is a standard and responsible process for industrial wastewater. Trent Thompson, PE Thomas & Hutton' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Yahoo
Settlement reached in lawsuit of man who died in Chatham County Jail in 2020
Attorneys for the family of Lee Michael Creely, a man who died in a Chatham County Detention Center in 2020, and Chatham County attorneys have reached a settlement agreement, Chatham County Assistant Attorney Andre Pretorius confirmed in a phone call. On Sept. 6, 2020, Creely died in the Chatham County Detention Center of a fentanyl overdose. A previous Savannah Morning News investigation found a series of missteps from the lack of drug treatment to probation bureaucracy, to lax administration of private healthcare within the Chatham County Detention Center (CCDC) to a lack of oversight from correctional officers caused Creely's death. The settlement marks the end of a legal saga that began in early February 2022, when attorneys for Creely's longtime girlfriend Jessica Hodges initially filed the lawsuit in Chatham County Superior Court. In late March 2022, the case was removed to federal court. Hodges and her two children were originally seeking damages "up to the sound discretion of the jury." The case was officially dismissed on March 5 of this year, according to court records. Pretorius said that the settlement agreement was worth $500,000. It's unclear whether the settlement has been approved by county commissioners. Pretorius said the settlement was approved by the county commissioners. County Chairman Chester Ellis, however, said in a phone call that he wasn't aware of the case, and the commissioners hadn't approved the settlement. As of publication time, the settlement has not been posted on the Chatham County Commissioners meeting minutes. The Savannah Morning News made an open records request to the county for the settlement amount in early February of this year. In a response letter, Pretorius wrote that 'Court records maintained are not subject to the Georgia Open Records are therefore not required to be produced in accordance with the provisions thereof.' More: Family of man who died in Chatham County jail sues jail, health care provider and county More: Two internal investigations reveal Creely's death in Chatham County jail 'preventable' More: Lee Michael Creely's last hours marked by withdrawal, medical indifference in Chatham County jail The suit was originally filed by David Utter and Will Claiborne of the Claiborne Firm against CorrectHealth, the owner of CorrectHealth LLC Carlo Musso, seven CorrectHealth employees and seven CCDC employees. CorrectHealth is the private contractor that provides healthcare to the CCDC. Multiple defendants, including CorrectHealth employees and CCDC employees, were eventually removed from the case. The final remaining parties were Don White, a then-CCDC correctional officer, Jackie Harned, a then-CorrectHealth nurse, Musso, and CorrectHealth Chatham LLC. A separate settlement agreement was reached between Claiborne and Utter and attorneys representing Correct Health, which remains confidential, Utter said in a phone call. An attorney for CorrectHealth, Carlton Joyce of Bouhan Falligant, did not return a call or email for comment by publication time. 'All I'm allowed to say publicly is that the settlement is amicable,' Utter said in a phone call. 'We're pleased that the case pleased that this long litigation is over and hopefully Lee Creely's boys can put this behind them.' As previously reported by SMN, two autopsies - one by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and another by Dr. Charles Pugh, the physician who blew the whistle on Corizon, Chatham County's previous private healthcare provider - both concluded Creely died of a fentanyl overdose. The Claiborne Firm, however, argued that how Creely died, whether of a fentanyl withdrawal or overdose, was irrelevant. Another argument made by the Claiborne Firm: a CorrectHealth nurse working at the CCDC lied about her account of what happened on the day of Creely's death, citing video surveillance and deposition testimony by a former jail worker. An 18-page review by Dr. Kenneth A. Ray and Dr. Ronald Shansky, two court-appointed monitors, published on Sep. 30, 2020, revealed that 'CorrectHealth Policies and Procedures indicates that several relevant health care requirements were not followed,' as SMN has previously reported. SMN also reported that, "security checks [by CCDC jail workers] were not conducted properly, census check, general conduct, and medical protocol for an individual detoxing was not followed," according to a Chatham County Jail internal affairs investigator tasked with investigating Creely's death. CorrectHealth, meanwhile, argued that Creely "caused his own demise," citing the autopsy report and body scans that showed that Creely died from fentanyl overdose and smuggled the drugs into the jail. Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@ This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Lee Michael Creely lawsuit dismissed, settlement reached
