The review by U.S. regulators of the environmental permit for Hyundai's $7.6 billion electric vehicle plant in Georgia has been completed without any modifications deemed necessary. This assessment follows a threat of legal action from the Ogeechee Riverkeeper group that prompted the Army Corps of Engineers to reexamine the permit last August due to concerns over potential impacts on the local drinking water supply. In a memo issued on March 25, the Army Corps confirmed that the existing federal permit for the Hyundai project does not require any revisions, asserting that the environmental impacts have been evaluated and found to be insignificant.

According to the Army Corps, the electric vehicle plant is expected to have only a minor, long-term effect on the area's drinking water supply, which is a different determination from the original assessment made in 2022 that anticipated water supply impacts would be negligible. The manufacturing facility in Bryan County, where 1,200 employees are currently working, began producing electric vehicles six months ago. Hyundai recently announced plans to increase production capacity by two-thirds to reach 500,000 vehicles annually.

The permit granted by the Army Corps allowed for the alteration of 221 acres of wetlands at the plant site shortly after Hyundai announced its plans for the electric vehicle factory in May 2022. Initial permit documentation did not specify the amount of water the 2,900-acre factory would utilize, which raised concerns from the riverkeeper group about potential water diversion affecting farmers, streams, and wetlands in the region.

The Ogeechee Riverkeeper group has requested additional information from the Army Corps to better understand the rationale behind the conclusions and the changes in the wording regarding water impacts. They are closely monitoring developments related to the permit. Hyundai's Georgia plant declined to provide any comments on the matter.