LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) – Westwin Elements founder and CEO KaLeigh Long, 28, recently spoke to KSWO about what drove her to bring the very first nickel and cobalt refinery to the United States. She claimed patriotism and human rights abuses by communist China are the main agents that drive her.
However, a lack of experience within the organization, as well as potential environmental and health impacts have caused citizens within the area to grow concerned and doubt whether such an industry should be allowed to set up shop in Lawton.
The Start of a “Patriotic Mission”
On Feb. 24, 2023, Lawton City Council unanimously approved Westwin Elements to start building a cobalt refinery in Lawton — which may seem astonishing, considering Westwin Elements was founded just the prior year in 2022.
While the pipeline from founding to being approved to build the first-ever cobalt refinery in the U.S. was a short one, this plan seems to be years in the making for Long.
“Well the story kind of started with the Congolese who I worked with for several years,” Long said. “I was briefly in Congo, so I supported a number of Congolese individuals who were in opposition to the Kabila regime at the time. And my interest in Congo really started as a humanitarian one. There have been millions of people who have died in Congo. I’m a devout Christian and I was really compelled by the human rights crises in Congo.”
Foreign news organizations have reported that Long has made several trips to Congo on the behalf of nongovernmental organizations relating to human rights.
However, human rights abuses are not all of what caught her eye during these international stays.
“Simultaneously I was going to grad school at a national security school called the Institute of World Politics and I started studying more about the U.S. national security interest in Congo,” Long said. “That’s what led me to the realization of how important critical minerals are, specifically nickel and cobalt. They are the raw materials that make up a lot of our defense and aerospace technologies.”
During her time in Congo, Long got involved in Congolese politics.
One of the Congolese that she supported during her time in the country was former Congo government official, Tryphon Kin-Kiey Mulumba. Mulumba was a long time supporter of the Kabila regime before running against a Kabila-chosen political candidate for office in 2018.
Long even had to register as a foreign agent for her work in setting up meetings between Mulumba and U.S. government officials.
She also provided services for the now-president of Congo Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi. Tshisekedi has called for the reviewing of mining contracts that the former president of Congo, Joseph Kabila, signed with China.
The trading relationship between China and Congo, especially as it pertains to cobalt and nickel, is something else that caught the eye of Long during her stay in the African country. Long said seeing the influence of communist China on the Congolese and understanding the lack of refining power in the U.S. led her on a patriotic mission.
“After working with the Congo and also just being more inspired to serve my country and live a life of patriotic mission for the United States,” Long said. “I was compelled by the reality that there is zero refining capacity for nickel and cobalt in the United States. Especially as almost all of that refining capacity exists in the People’s Republic of China. And so you see across a number of industries, growing sustained Western apathy, surrendering a number of supply chains, and again that global hegemony, to the Communist Party of China. That apathy and surrender has severe consequences. Ultimately the human rights abuses that I witnessed in Congo and working with Congolese for years goes back to being generated by a communist influence over these resource countries while you see the west retreat.”
Long’s political work pays off for Westwin
Long has also had extensive experience working within the political space of the United States. She served as the Executive Director of the Conservative Leadership PAC, legislative director for the National Pro-Life Alliance and Board Member of the Second Amendment Institute.
While her main focus now seems to be on her Westwin company, she still keeps at least one eye on politics. She has donated in recent years to both conservative PACs and politicians.
She donated to the Liberty for US super PAC, to U.S. congressional candidate Joe Kent, and to Oklahoma State Senate District 32 Republican candidate Dusty Deevers.
These long standing political connections have helped Westwin Elements receive ample support from American political figures.
In a letter sent to federal departments dealing with energy and defense last year, a group of lawmakers residing in the House of Representatives sought for incentives to be given to companies that refine cobalt. Not only that, but the letter named Westwin Elements in the footnotes of the letter. Westwin just became an official company earlier that year.
In an interview given to Politico, Long said that the ties her company has within the political realm have helped them win influence. It seems as if the Biden Administration has also attempted to ensure the United States has alliances with countries that produce large quantities of nickel and cobalt.
Not only have some political figures taken a liking to Westwin, but so have major players in other business fields. One you might’ve heard of is Member of Westwin’s Board Dennis Muilenburg.
Muilenburg was the former CEO of Boeing during the two 737 Max crashes that took place in 2018 and 2019. According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Muilenburg knew that the 737 Max had an ongoing airplane safety issue, but still assured the public that this particular type of plane was as safe as any airplane that has been in the sky.
Concern citizens about an uncertain future
Ever since the Lawton community heard of the potential for a nickel and cobalt refinery coming to town, residents have been uneasy and had questions they want answers to.
Right after the City of Lawton voted to approve the refinery, citizens voiced their concerns.
“Westwin Elements does not have mining or refinery experience,” one Lawton resident said.
“I agree big business needs to come to Lawton, I am all for that, but are we willing to sell our soul out to a company that looks good on the surface, but have not thoroughly researched?” asked another resident.
Those questions have not gone away, and if anything, have grown in number. Even after Westwin Elements and the City held a public townhall back in October, residents of the area seem to have developed even more concerns. So much so that a group of concerned citizens were prepared to present a petition to halt current progress on the refinery until their questions and concerns were addressed.
“The hazard of it is not enough to see if it’ll work,” Benny Roberts, Comanche County citizen, said. “It’s not a proven process on getting this nickel powder out of these materials. They don’t even have a mining place anywhere in the United States right now that will let them mine for the materials needed.”
Westwin and the City of Lawton plan to hold a second townhall at the McMahon Memorial Auditorium from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 4. That meeting will be open to the public and will operate differently than the first town hall that was originally held with the company.
Those wanting to ask questions will need to submit those questions beforehand. The City claims this is to cut down on the repetitiveness of the questions. Those who are wanting to ask questions should send them to inquiries@westwinelements.com.
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