Representatives with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, or ADEQ, will be in southern Arizona on Monday evening to brief residents on a new aluminum plant proposed in their area.
Aluminum Dynamics is proposing a roughly 200-acre processing plant in Benson — a city that sits just off Highway 80 south of Tucson. ADEQ says the plant would process aluminum scrap metal for the company’s mill in Ohio — which will turn out material for sustainable packaging, construction and other industries.
ADEQ is now weighing whether to grant the air quality permit for the project to move forward. It says the plant wouldn’t need a water permit because it won’t discharge to either surface or groundwater.
Agency representatives will present the draft air quality permit in Benson on Monday night. A Change.org petition arguing the project will produce hazardous pollutants and pose risks to communities and wildlife has more than 2,000 signatures.
