Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

State Representative Ann Bollin is calling for Michigan to get $1.8 billion in taxpayer subsidies given to Ford for the electric vehicle battery plant in Marshall, after it was announced that the federal government is “blacklisting” the Chinese battery manufacturer they partnered with for the project.

“On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Defense included CATL on its 1260H list, which identifies firms operating in the U.S. that contribute to China’s military buildup or work on behalf of its military,” a press release from Bollin said. “Companies on the list are barred from entering into Defense Department contracts, and their inclusion serves as a strong warning to American businesses about the risks of partnering with entities that may undermine U.S. national security.

Companies on the list are not allowed to enter into Defense Department contracts.

“The Defense Department’s decision to blacklist CATL should serve as yet another wake up call,” Bollin said in the release. “Michigan taxpayers should not be footing the bill for a project tied to a company that raises serious national security concerns. This is exactly why I’ve been fighting for more accountability and oversight in how these massive subsidies are awarded.”

Ford decided on a scaled-down facility after briefly pausing the BlueOval project. At that time, Bollin introduced several measures she said ensured greater accountability for projects that are funded through the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve fund, which was used for the plant.

Bollin pushed for a $725.3 million negative supplemental appropriations plan to return previously allocated SOAR funds and related infrastructure funding for the Marshall project to Michigan’s general fund, legislation to mandate annual audits of the SOAR fund and proposals to establish automatic “claw-back” provisions that require that unspent funds be returned to the general fund if a project is canceled or indefinitely paused.

Bollin said the state should end its involvement in the BlueOval project after the blacklisting for CATL.

“These new revelations about CATL prove that my concerns were well-founded,” Bollin said in the release. “We cannot allow Michigan’s economic future to be entangled with entities that threaten our national security. Taxpayer dollars must be safeguarded, and every dollar spent should have robust accountability measures attached.”