Residents press Bryan County over alleged contamination, health risks and oversight of Westwind plan

A string of residents told the Bryan County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 10 they fear environmental and health risks tied to the site known as Caesarstone and urged the county to ensure thorough oversight as Westwind pursues a proposed nickel-refinery project.

"I don't want to die of cancer," said Janet Johnson, a resident who said she lives about two miles from the Caesarstone building and has adopted grandchildren who could be exposed. Her remarks reflected an often-repeated theme in the public-comments period: people who live near the site worry about long-term health impacts if contamination is present.

Deborah Power asked for written answers about environmental compliance monitoring of Caesarstone while it operated and while it has been dormant, saying an open-records request indicated the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) was made aware of contamination last year and asking why no immediate remediation followed. Counsel later told the board the November 2025 development-authority–commissioned report did not recommend arsenic remediation and that turbidity in one sample made arsenic testing inconclusive; that discrepancy prompted the special-call investigation.

Other speakers raised related concerns: Barry White pointed to satellite imagery showing a large tailings pond near Jericho River tributaries and wetlands and warned that flooding could spread contaminants; Amber Pindell urged hazmat training for local responders and described long-term worker effects after a biolab fire; Jeff Barnes, a retired environmental protection agent, warned that local EPD expertise has eroded and that groundwater in the coastal district is particularly vulnerable.

Some public comments included allegations and claims that are not substantiated within the meeting record. For example, Thomas Seaman made broad claims about alleged election fraud unrelated to the county’s agenda; these claims were presented as citizen perspective and were not corroborated in the meeting's factual record.

Several speakers also questioned Westwind’s leadership, financing and past performance. Carrie Cook said she pressed Westwind representative Kaylee Long at a town hall on inconsistencies in reporting litigation and sourcing; counsel informed the board that some litigation claims remain pending in federal court and that one claim had been dismissed without prejudice, which does not resolve the underlying allegations.

Residents’ comments, counsel said, helped prompt the county’s Feb. 3 authorization to investigate. The board received those public comments and then proceeded with further agenda items; no formal policy decisions beyond the authorized investigation were made during the public-comment period.

The transcript shows the county heard a range of environmental, public-health and governance concerns that commissioners and counsel said would be part of the ongoing fact-finding process.