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A group turned in a petition Tuesday challenging Ford's Marshall battery plant plans

dirt road with large excavated fields on both sides
Courtesy of Staufer Aerial
Excavation has already begun on BlueOval Battery Park Michigan outside Marshall.

The Committee for Marshall Not the Megasite said it submitted 800 signatures, some 200 more than required.

A group of Marshall-area residents completed a petition drive this week that could complicate plans for a massive Ford EV battery factory.

The petition calls for the Marshall City Council to reverse its decision rezoning a large portion of the Ford site from agricultural to industrial.

The city has 20 days to approve or reject the petition. If approved, the Marshall City Council can either decide to reverse the zoning change or put it to citywide vote.

Ford announced plans in February to develop the nearly 2000-acre site just outside the city. It hopes to begin making batteries for electric vehicles there by 2026.