Contentious Manteno Board Meeting Ends with I-2 Zoning Approval

By Andrea Arens

Hours of public comments led to the vote the room was packed for, ordinance 23-09 approving changing the zoning from I-1 light industrial to I-2 heavy industrial.

It was approved, but not unanimously. Trustee Samuel Martin was the lone no vote.

The Manteno Village Board Meeting, on Monday, December 4, was moved to the Manteno Elementary School to accommodate the crowd. The room was packed, too, with people both for and against.

Plenty of union members were present with their “Go On Gotion” signs. They have plenty to gain for their support. Gotion’s investment is $2 billion in the property, while the Kankakee and Iroquois County Building Trade Association already has a signed project labor agreement with Gotion.

Patrick Young, president of the Kankakee and Iroquois County Building Trades Commission said the unions represented by the commission are in favor of the Gotion project. When asked how past transgressions with the village using non-union labor for the building of their Public Works facility affected the unions stance, Young said that was in the past, and they worked it all out.

The Southland Black Chamber of Commerce posted on Facebook recently that their Christmas party is sponsored by Gotion. Previously, members had spoken in favor of the project at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.

In public comments, many of the same sentiments were echoed from the Planning and Zoning meeting. Concerns of toxic chemicals, concerns of Gotion’s parent company – Gotion High Tech having reported ties to the Chinese Communist Party, and concerns of the proximity of heavy industry to residential homes.

Many people in the campaign against Gotion echoed Robby Dube, the lawyer retained by the Concerned Citizens of Manteno. Dube recommended the board request the long form Committee on Foreign Investment, complete an Environmental Impact Study, and make public the non-disclosure agreement the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County signed.

The ordinance regarding I-2 Heavy Industrial does specifically state toxic chemicals were not to be used. The ordinance wasn’t changed prior to the meeting’s vote. When Village Administrator Chris LaRocque was asked if the opinion was that Gotion was not using toxic chemicals, he said yes. He added Gotion showed them they would not be using toxic chemicals.

According to Gotion’s presentation at the Planning and Zoning Commission, they would only be making lithium iron phosphate batteries, which are considered to be significantly safer by industry standards because of their lack of toxic chemicals and low incidence of explosion and thermal runaway.

While LiFePO4 batteries are considered significantly safer, since they do not explode or ignite, they are not absolute and can still catch fire if they’re not installed correctly or used properly.

A representative from the neighboring stone quarry spoke during public comments, to go on record that they had a meeting with Gotion representatives to address their concerns. The quarry uses dynamite blasts, and Gotion assured them any blast would not affect Gotion’s manufacturing. The quarry’s water retention also is regulated by the EPA ,and the quarry requested Gotion’s retention be as far away as possible so as not to affect the quarry’s EPA results.

Gotion will receive more than $213 million in tax credits from the State of Illinois during the next 30 years, along with $125M in capital funds from the “closing fund” overseen by the governor’s office. Gotion also is set to receive a cap on the taxes at $2M per year for the next 30 years, a total deal worth $536M. Gotion also would qualify for green energy production tax credits through the Inflation Reduction Act.

Congressmen Darrin LaHood (R-IL) and John Moolenaar (R-MI) introduced legislation in early November that would block tax credits to Gotion along with oppressive nations.