AdvanSix, owner of the Hopewell factory that has been plagued by chemical leaks and violations for years, is hosting a community forum in Hopewell on Oct. 29.

American chemical company AdvanSix, which has a factory at 905 East Randolph Road in Hopewell, is hosting a community forum on Tuesday, October 29, to share updates and hear feedback from the Hopewell community.

The community forum will be held at the John Randolph Foundation of Hopewell, 112 North Main Street, from 6 to 7 p.m.

“The forum begins with a presentation highlighting projects, initiatives and the ways we plan to engage with the Hopewell community,” a spokesperson wrote in an email to The Progress-Index. “Participants are then encouraged to share their questions, thoughts and feedback.”

Food and refreshments will be provided. Register here to participate. Registration is not required to participate, but is recommended for planning purposes.

Years of chemical leaks, violations and inspections by environmental authorities

The community forum comes following a series of controversies surrounding the AdvanSix factory in Hopewell, including repeated chemical leaks reported by federal law enforcement.

According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the factory has actually been under repeated scrutiny by environmental regulators. According to the newspaper, it has been cited at least 66 times in the last decade alone for violations of the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act — including releasing toxic chemicals into Hopewell's air and the James River.

“According to the EPA, AdvanSix has violated the federal Clean Air Act, the country’s most important air quality law, every month for the past two years,” the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported in a 2023 article about the factory.

Several of the chemicals leaking from the factory have released pollutants that are considered toxic to residents, even in small quantities. The factory is located on the south end of Hopewell, just a mile from several hundred homes.

Most recently, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filed a petition with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in July to object to an air pollution permit recently issued to AdvanSix. The petition raised concerns about the failure to hold a public hearing for community members on the permit and the lack of monitoring and testing measures in place “for a facility where there is a pattern of noncompliance.”

“The AdvanSix facility has a long history of environmental violations in an area heavily polluted,” said a SELC press release. “AdvanSix is ​​the fourth largest emitter of nitrogen oxides in the state and is close to five other major sources of air pollution in Hopewell.”

“Given the amount of pollution this facility emits into the surrounding community, the public should have had access to the information they need to ensure the permit provides sufficient protection,” SELC attorney Patrick Anderson added in the release added. “Our air pollution laws and our environmental justice require more than this permitting process.”

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Hopewell factory owner known for leaks, violations noted in community forum on October 29th