Aurubis to unveil $800 million dollar expansion this week, questions raised over environmental impacts

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – The German-based recycling company Aurubis AG is expanding its facility right here in Augusta and the company is set to unveil an $800-million dollar upgrade this week.

With that expansion comes 200 new jobs at the Aurubis facility. But some question how that will impact the community and environment around it.

Savannah Riverkeeper Director Tonya Bonitatibus says those living in south Augusta can always use new jobs.

“Whether the process is gonna be protective of the community, I think, is a big question,” said Bontitatibus. “Our governor in Georgia has very, strategically, turned Georgia into an EV hub. So, we are now going to grow the entire nation’s EV’s, really on the backs of Georgia, and Augusta is a big hub for that.”

Not only will the plant provide job opportunities, it will continue to recycle scrap metals like printed circuit boards, insulated copper cable and more.

“Their product that they call is blister copper which is 90% pure copper, they refine into– but they refine it into a structure that is then sent back to Europe for further refining,” said Cal Wray, president of the Augusta Economic Development Authority. “So, they’re taking refined materials– specifically metal– reclaiming those metals, removing the contaminants and then putting that primary metal back into the economy.”

But Bonitatibus said she’s concerned about the air pollution coming from plant facilities in the area.

“They are also the two highest most contaminated zip codes in our area,” she said. “They already have, majority of their creeks are contaminated either with fecal– which is human poop– or heavy metals; they’ve been that way for a long time.”

Bonitatibus added, “Bringing in these new facilities with heavy metals and other stuff– how is that gonna happen in a place where we already aren’t meeting the standards right now, and what does that mean for the health of our community because it’s great to have jobs, it’s not so great if those jobs come with cancer.”

This Friday, a ribbon cutting ceremony will take place with the company CEO and Governor Brian Kemp showing off the latest addition to this multi-million dollar facility.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.