Community leaders, scientists, and labor advocates in Central New York are urging Micron Technology to ensure its historic $100 billion development in Clay benefits workers and protects the environment.
At a press conference Thursday, 16 organizations delivered a petition with over 1,600 signatures to the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency, demanding a 120-day public comment period on the recently released Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). They also unveiled a “Community Vision” that outlines protections for workers, residents, and local ecosystems.
“Given the massive scope of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, with 10,000 pages of appendices, 45 days is grossly inadequate for community members to participate in the public review process,” said Hilary-Anne Coppola of SustainCNY.
The DEIS, published by the U.S. Department of Commerce and OCIDA, reviews potential impacts of what would be the largest microchip fabrication facility in U.S. history. While Micron is slated to receive $5.5 billion through New York’s Green CHIPS Act and up to $20 billion in total public subsidies, advocates warned that the company has made no binding commitments to community or labor standards.
Catherine Landis of SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry emphasized the ecological value of the site. “It is 1000 plus acres of wetlands, forest, and grassland comparable to natural areas on protected State lands,” she said, urging stronger wetland protection requirements.
Don Hughes, a chemistry professor and Sierra Club member, said Micron “should be run with clean, renewable power,” and called on the company to eliminate toxic chemical use.
Khadeejah Ahmad of Jobs to Move America stressed that “Central New Yorkers deserve high-paying, family-sustaining jobs” and demanded workforce investment that prioritizes historically disadvantaged communities.
Speakers warned of the project’s energy demands, which would rival the entire states of Vermont and New Hampshire. “Micron’s draft EIS states that it will force New York to miss our climate emissions goals,” said Tim Judson of the Alliance for a Green Economy. “This is unacceptable.”
Groups urged the public to submit comments asking for a longer review period and promised additional guidance from local experts in the coming weeks.
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