Residents near the planned $5 billion Rivian electric vehicle factory east of Atlanta have hired an environmental attorney to look at potential legal challenges, but they face long odds.
Local officials will vote in the coming weeks on rezoning the 2,000-acre property for industrial use. That would be one of the final steps to let Rivian begin construction, local development chief Shane Short said in an interview. Work is slated to start this spring on the site between the small cities of Social Circle and Rutledge.
A citizen group that appears to enjoy the support of hundreds if not thousands of residents is worried about possible contamination of local water and other environmental issues. The group has raised more than $150,000 for its legal fund, according to Rutledge resident Chas Moore, one of the organizers.
