EPD approved the permit modification, increasing the facility's wastewater discharge limits, effective October 1, 2026.
IssueFranklin Countyunder consideration
Georgia EPD approves higher wastewater discharge limits for Hyundai Metaplant, denies requests for stricter permit terms
The state's decision raises how much wastewater the Hyundai Metaplant's pretreatment facility can discharge, while rejecting calls to deny the permit or add PFAS and extra monitoring requirements.
What happens next
No next step has been documented.
At a glance
What this means now
The story
Georgia's Environmental Protection Division proposed modifying Pretreatment Permit GAP050365, covering wastewater discharge from Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America LLC's facility, with a maximum flow of 0.865 million gallons per day and an average of 0.676 million gallons per day, along with limits for pollutants including BOD5, TSS, COD, pH, phosphorus and cyanide.
The draft modification also removed stormwater as a listed contributing wastestream based on the facility's updated application, changed how sludge from the treatment process is disposed of — now landfilled through Waste Management rather than applied to land — and removed references to the City of Savannah's Travis Field water reclamation facility, which no longer receives wastewater from the North Bryan facility.
EPD denied a public comment asking the agency to deny the permit modification altogether, denied a request to add PFAS monitoring parameters to the permit, and denied Ogeechee Riverkeeper's request for an operational-based increase in how often monitoring occurs, saying the existing monitoring frequency is sufficient to assess compliance.
EPD approved the permit modification, increasing the facility's wastewater discharge limits, effective October 1, 2026.
What happened
How this issue got here
Open any step for its supporting record. A proposal remains labeled as proposed until later evidence establishes an outcome.
Not approvedunknownPublic comment requesting denial of the HMGMA pretreatment permit modification
EPD has evaluated the submitted permit application and
supporting documentation and proposed a pretreatment permit in
accordance with applicable Federal and State laws and
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Public comment requesting denial of the HMGMA pretreatment permit modification
EPD has evaluated the submitted permit application and supporting documentation and proposed a pretreatment permit in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws and
Appeared on agendaproposedRemoval of stormwater as a contributing wastestream to the permit based on facility's updated application
Removed reference of stormwater as a contributing wastestr eam based on the
facility’s updated application
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Removal of stormwater as a contributing wastestream to the permit based on facility's updated application
Removed reference of stormwater as a contributing wastestr eam based on the facility’s updated application
Appeared on agendaproposedDraft modification of Pretreatment Permit GAP050365 for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America LLC wastewater discharge
modification of existing permit
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Draft modification of Pretreatment Permit GAP050365 for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America LLC wastewater discharge
modification of existing permit
Not approvedunknownRequest to add PFAS monitoring parameters to the HMGMA pretreatment permit
EPD has therefore determined that PFAS monitoring should
not be required in the proposed pretreatment permit.
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Request to add PFAS monitoring parameters to the HMGMA pretreatment permit
EPD has therefore determined that PFAS monitoring should not be required in the proposed pretreatment permit.
Not approvedunknownOgeechee Riverkeeper's request for an operational-based increased monitoring period in the permit
EPD believes that the monitoring frequency included in the
permit is sufficient to characterize the effluent quality and to
assess and assure compliance with the permit.
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Ogeechee Riverkeeper's request for an operational-based increased monitoring period in the permit
EPD believes that the monitoring frequency included in the permit is sufficient to characterize the effluent quality and to assess and assure compliance with the permit.
Appeared on agendaproposedRevision to sludge disposal method for Hyundai Metaplant industrial wastewater treatment facility - now landfilled via Waste Management instead of land application
is disposed of at a landfill operated by Waste Management
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Revision to sludge disposal method for Hyundai Metaplant industrial wastewater treatment facility - now landfilled via Waste Management instead of land application
is disposed of at a landfill operated by Waste Management
ApprovedunknownPretreatment permit modification for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America LLC (GAP050365) increasing wastewater discharge limits
This permit modification shall become effective on October 1, 2026.
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Pretreatment permit modification for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America LLC (GAP050365) increasing wastewater discharge limits
This permit modification shall become effective on October 1, 2026.
Appeared on agendaproposedPretreatment permit modification GAP050365 for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America LLC (Bryan County POTW wastewater discharge limits)
The facility’s increased production should not impact their ability
to achieve compliance with the existing effluent limitations for their
categorical process wastewater.
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Pretreatment permit modification GAP050365 for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America LLC (Bryan County POTW wastewater discharge limits)
The facility’s increased production should not impact their ability to achieve compliance with the existing effluent limitations for their categorical process wastewater.
Appeared on agendaproposedRemoval of references to City of Savannah Travis Field WRF, which no longer receives wastewater from North Bryan WRF
Removed all references to the City of Savannah Travis Fie ld WRF which no
longer receives wastewater from the North Bryan WRF
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Removal of references to City of Savannah Travis Field WRF, which no longer receives wastewater from North Bryan WRF
Removed all references to the City of Savannah Travis Fie ld WRF which no longer receives wastewater from the North Bryan WRF
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