Court greenlights concerned citizens’ lawsuit against Gotion and IL
village
[May 24, 2025]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – A court has allowed a lawsuit by Concerned
Citizens of Manteno to proceed to trial against Gotion and the Village
of Manteno.
According to Amanda Piker, co-founder of Concerned Citizens of Manteno,
the judge dismissed three claims, specifically related to spot and
contract zoning, but allowed the more substantial allegations, including
improper rezoning and environmental safety issues, to proceed.
"This was a huge win," said Piker, a leading voice in the opposition
movement. "Everything we need is moving forward. We’ve been saying all
along that what’s happening isn’t right, and now the court agrees
there’s enough here to proceed."
Citizens are alarmed by chemicals planned for the facility, especially
NMP [N-Methylpyrrolidone], called “the most dangerous” by Piker. She
also questioned the qualifications of village staff acting as both code
enforcers and project approvers.
"The village administrator is doing both roles, and he's approving
everything. What are his credentials?" Piker said.
She added that the judge criticized the chemical review documents
provided by the village.
“The judge basically said, ‘the court will decide whether these
chemicals are dangerous,’” she said.
Gotion and the village have 45 days to respond. Plaintiffs hope
discovery will uncover more about environmental risks, chemical use and
internal dealings.
Piker said anti-Gotion candidates won four of five recent local races,
signaling voter support, but pro-Gotion voting-majority power means the
project may still move forward.
“I do believe that our new mayor and our new trustees are going to hold
the others accountable,” said Piker.
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Protesters in Manteno, Illinois, during a demonstration against tax
credits for Gotion, an electric vehicle battery manufacturer
BlueRoomStream
Piker shared a nondisclosure agreement she obtained after months of
seeking transparency, saying it was used to hide key project details
from the public. It was signed by Jones Lang LaSalle and the
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
“The Kankakee Economic Alliance was brought in under the NDA, but no
one ever officially signed it,” said Piker. “They were just acting
under it. I even have emails where our village administrator
wouldn’t mention the company by name. No one was supposed to say the
company’s name.”
In an August 2023 email, village administrator Chris LaRocque sent
to former mayor Tim Nugent, LaRocque referred to Gotion as the
“battery manufacturer.”
LaRocque, in a 2023 email, informed Nugent that a reporter had
called him and used the name of the company.
“I did not reveal who the manufacturer was, he stated the name on
his [the reporter] own… I think the word is getting out,” the email
said.
JLL was working on behalf of Gotion. Gotion's $536 million incentive
package from DCEO is among the largest in state history.
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