A long-debated industrial project in Benson has cleared its final regulatory hurdle, but the conversation around it is far from over. Aluminum Dynamics has received the last permit required from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), allowing the company to continue construction and eventually operate its aluminum recycling facility in the city. While the approval marks a milestone for the project, it has intensified concerns among local residents and advocacy groups who say their voices have not been adequately heard.

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Community concerns over air and water

Opposition group Health Over Wealth Benson has been vocal throughout the permitting process and is now suing both Aluminum Dynamics and the City of Benson over the development.

"They're not listening to the people that they were created to protect," said Crystal Anderson, treasurer for Health Over Wealth Benson.

Anderson said emails and comments submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency and ADEQ went unnoticed during the review process. He added, The sheer disappointment in an agency that's supposed to be protecting the people."

Her concerns extend to air emissions from the proposed facility. "Any of the pollutants that it emits, it's going to go ahead and just sit here like a fishbowl, and we're all going to be breathing it in," Anderson said. “There’s a potential to emit tons of pollutants every year.”

Water usage is another key issue for critics. Anderson warned about potential strain on local aquifers and broader environmental impacts.

"It's going to suck a lot of water out, and therefore, weakening our aquifers and causing more fissures," Anderson said. “It’s more than a Benson issue. I feel like it’s an Arizona issue considering that the San Pedro feeds into the Gila. I feel like anything that’s sitting on the ground and soaking through rain, water saturating it, is going to cause major problems.”

She added, "Anything that lands or settles and gets washed through our river, it's going to enter into the ground, and that's going to go past Benson."

Anderson also cautioned that approving the facility could open the door to further industrial expansion. "If we allow a company like this to come in and use our resources, other companies are going to also jump on that wagon," Anderson said.

Als read: Europe secures 76.3% in aluminium can recycling, led by Germany with 99%

Regulatory safeguards and next steps

ADEQ officials said the final air quality permit was modified based on public feedback received during the review process. To safeguard public health and the environment, the agency stated that the permit requires mandatory monitoring, record keeping, reporting and periodic ADEQ inspections, along with enforcement processes.

According to ADEQ, discharges from the Aluminum Dynamics plant are covered under two additional permits designed to protect the San Pedro River from treated wastewater impacts. The Environmental Protection Agency also met with ADEQ to ensure the permit protects public health and the environment and conducted a required 45-day review. With regulatory approvals now in place, Aluminum Dynamics expects construction to last between 12 and 18 months.

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