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Residents raise battery-fire and safety concerns about Goshen project in Manteno
Summary
Multiple residents told the board they fear fire risks from a proposed Goshen battery plant and questioned the company’s safety claims and local emergency preparedness. Speakers cited standards and an out-of-area fire that prompted a large evacuation, and one resident said the company asked the fire department to subscribe to its radio frequency.
Several speakers at the March 3 Manteno Village Board meeting expressed safety concerns about the nearby Goshen battery project and urged greater transparency and emergency planning.
Sandy Chish told trustees she was alarmed by an email exchange she saw and argued the community should be aware of the risks from a foreign-made plant; she distinguished foreign ownership from ideology when criticizing the project’s proximity to schools. “We are not fighting that it's a foreign company... What we are fighting is we don't want a communist foreign company in our neighborhood, in less than a mile from our grade schools,” Chish said during public comment.
Ann Gates described information she said she learned in conversations with the fire chief and from materials about the Goshen plant.…
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