Rivian Has A New Legal Problem In Georgia

Following its IPO last November, Rivian announced in December plans to build a brand new $5 billion factory in the state of Georgia as part of a major expansion plan. Demand for the Rivian R1T and R1S is high and the current plant in Normal, Illinois can't keep pace. The new Georgia facility will supposedly create around 7,500 new jobs in a rural part of the state, roughly 45 miles outside of Atlanta, which could certainly use them. But not everyone is pleased.

In January, we reported about a group of local residents who had more questions than answers as to what the new factory on a 2,000-acre property will entail. Critical topics like zoning, the size and scale of the plant, and the amount of noise it'll create remain unanswered.

And now, according to The Atlanta-Constitution Journal, those residents have hired the services of an environmental attorney to investigate possible legal challenges to blocking the state government from approving construction. They've raised over $150,000 for its legal fund for the long-shot bid to halt production or, at the very least, seek some critical changes, ahead of this spring's scheduled construction start date.

Ironically, major national environmental groups like the Sierra Club and state bodies like the Georgia Wildlife Federation are not siding with the residents. They like EVs and want to see the plant's approval and construction happen. One major topic of concern residents have is how the facility will affect the local water supply. In their legal bid, they cited a report stating that "A plant of this size would negatively impact the groundwater recharge area by converting millions of square feet into impervious surfaces."