Legal limbo.

Plans for Gotion Inc.’s $2.4 billion project hit the pause button on its permit application with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) while its legal battle with Green Charter Township plays out in the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals with oral arguments set for May 9th.

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Chuck Thelen, North American Manufacturing President and CEO of Gotion Inc., had previously stated that despite the ongoing lawsuit against the township, the company was still conducting environmental studies, and gathering data on the facility’s environmental impact for submission to EGLE as part of the permit approval process. However, that is no longer happening according to a report from Big Rapids Pioneer.

Thelen now says, “The EGLE permitting application is now on hold as we move through the legal process.”

From China with secrecy.

Gotion Inc., a subsidiary of China-based Gotion High-Tech, has faced significant backlash since it first announced plans to build near Big Rapids, with many residents concerned about foreign influence, environmental impact, and the secrecy surrounding the deal.

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Meanwhile, the state of Michigan, which offered hundreds of millions in state funds and taxpayer-funded incentives to bring Gotion Inc. to town, is watching closely. Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has championed the project as a win for Michigan jobs and green manufacturing, but her administration is now under fire for ignoring grassroots objections and fast-tracking a foreign-led deal.

Gotion Inc.’s ties to China’s Communist Party have remained a hot-button issue, with national security concerns raised by both lawmakers and residents. Even the company’s promises of American oversight have done little to quell fears.

In a press release on Saturday, March 29th, U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Caledonia), who represents Mecosta County, called on Gotion Inc. to end the project, saying, “The residents of Mecosta County have made it clear multiple times they do not support Gotion operating in their community. The company has continuously misled the public about its close ties to the CCP and refused to heed election results, instead deciding to sue a small town that does not want it. Gotion’s announcement it is pausing its application process is good news, however, it should listen to the people of Mecosta County and end its plans in Michigan once and for all.”