Amprius Technologies responds to concerns about battery factory as Brighton neighbors continue to circulate petition

Amprius Technologies is responding to concerns about a 775,000 square foot building in Colorado it plans to use for lithium ion battery manufacturing. The facility in Brighton will initially create over 300 jobs, but neighbors who live close by worry about the fact that the batteries -- which are used in everything from cellphones to electric vehicles to defense systems -- are highly flammable and involve use of hazardous chemicals.

State leaders like Gov. Jared Polis have spoken positively about the California-based company's plan, saying it boosts Colorado's clean energy economy.

Jessie and Joe Williams live very close to the planned factory and have been spreading the word about safety concerns they have for months. They continue to attain signatures for a petition against Amprius's plan.

"This is like a fourth job, but you know when it's something so important as your life, your home, your family, the safety of your community, you don't have a choice. You have to it," Jessie Williams said.

Amprius chose Colorado due to the STEM school system that's present, the weather and the proximity to their suppliers. Kang Sun, Amprius' President and Chief Executive Officer, spoke this month about the economic benefits of their plan. 

"Our factory ultimately will have 1,000 employees, so this is going to be a business ecosystem," he said.

Andrew Huie is the Vice President of Infrastructure at Amprius and said "This is a new generational technology that is for clean energy."

Joe Williams wants people to know the group of neighbors he represents aren't against "growth and development and moving forward in technology."

"We're against doing it so close to our homes to where it could have such an impact that it could be dangerous for hundreds of families," he said.

Sun wants to allay those fears.

"Battery manufacturing at Amprius is very safe process," he said.

He says the fires that have been associated with the batteries usually happen due to improper use.

"When we hear about a battery accident -- battery explodes, battery (catches) fire -- most time not in the factory, it's at your home, it's on the road. How to use the battery is very important," said Sun.

Huie recognizes "we utilize hazardous production materials -- electrolyte blends, NMP which is N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone, silane gas and fugitive dust." The company says they use a "solvent recovery system" to capture chemical vapors and recycle or safely dispose of hazardous waste.

"We will have some emissions but those emissions -- we're a highly regulated industry -- and so we will be following all U.S. EPA requirements," Huie said.

Amprius still needs to apply for an EPA certificate. Their California operation is small enough one is not required. Once they do they will be responsible for monitoring and reporting their emissions.

"With permits and licensing being put into place that still doesn't mean that were not going to have the pollution, we're not going to have the hazardous waste on site," Jessie Williams said.

Brighton City Council must approve rezoning of the land before Amprius can move in, and that will require a public hearing. That's when the Williams are hoping to present the nearly 500 signatures they are still collecting.

"Anywhere that we can go where people are willing to hear and listen, that's the plan," Joe Williams said.

Amprius held open houses on two different days earlier this month to answer neighbors' questions.

"We acknowledge the neighbors' concerns and we want to assure them that we're here to listen to their concerns and try to address their concerns and look forward to working with them," Huie said.

If Brighton approved the rezoning, Amprius will begin hiring and set-up next year and start operating in 2025.

UPDATE: Brighton residents push back against re-zoning land poised for lithium battery plant