River ParishesWednesday, November 4
Hyundai-POSCO's steel mill gets its air permit, and critics now want a binding deal
The Daily Baton Rouge team
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has approved the final air permit for the $5.8 billion mill from Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel, or HPLS. It is expected to anchor the 17,000-acre RiverPlex MegaPark near Donaldsonville. Trial operations are slated for the fourth quarter of 2028, with commercial production still set for the first quarter of 2029.
The mill site covers 1,700 acres inside a 17,000-acre industrial zone
Area of the mill site, beside places you know
1,286 football fields would fit inside the mill site
Source: USA TODAY
View as table
| Area | |
|---|---|
| The mill site | 1,700 acres |
| RiverPlex MegaPark | 17,000 acres |
| A football field | 1.3 acres (end zones included) |
A coalition of residents and environmental and labor groups wants a legally binding deal next. Jacob Horwitz of the United Steelworkers and the Good Neighbors Louisiana Coalition says its priority is a community benefits agreement with enforceable environmental safeguards, local hiring guarantees and compensation for affected homeowners. In a news release, the Sierra Club's Matthew Miles Goodrich said the company made some improvements but "needs to do more."
- Jobs: about 1,300 direct jobs expected at the mill
- Hiring: 40 openings now, 230 to 300 employees by end of 2027
- Financing: State Bond Commission approved up to $1.3 billion, tax-free
The mill's path runs from a hearing to production in 2029
- Sept. 1A 4½-hour public hearing draws sharply divided testimony.
- Sept. 4Groundbreaking ceremony takes place at the 1,700-acre site.
- Late 2027HPLS plans to have 230 to 300 employees on board by the end of 2027.
- Q4 2028Trial operations are slated to begin.
- Q1 2029Commercial production is still scheduled to begin.
Sources: Baton Rouge Business Report, USA TODAY
Sources: Baton Rouge Business Report, USA TODAY