Lucille Lannigan, Growth and Development Reporter RICHMOND HILL – Westwin Elements is not coming to Bryan County, and an environmental review of the former Caesarstone property that it was looking to locate to, came back clean. Bryan County Attorney Aaron Kappler gave this update during the Bryan County Commissioner’s August meeting, Tuesday. Bryan County and the City of Richmond Hill launched an investigation in February after concerns were raised about contamination and hazardous waste at the property. The investigation, which was conducted by an environmental consultant firm based in Atlanta, found no evidence of contamination that would constitute a public nuisance. “Westwin’s contentions of course were therefore unsubstantiated and false,” he said. This investigation launched after Kayleigh Long, the CEO of Westwin Elements, a metal refining company, that sought out Richmond Hill as a future home for its nickel refinery, claimed during a public meeting that Westwin would clean up the former Caesarstone property after barrels containing hazardous waste and elevated levels of contamination were found. Testing of groundwater wells, during the investigation, repeatedly detected elevated arsenic in one well. However, Kappler said state regulators and the independent environmental consultant determined the arsenic was consistent with naturally occurring levels in the region. Testing of four wells by the independent environmental firm found the other three wells below the…
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