Contact:
Khadeejah Ahmad
Jobs to Move America
(315) 383-6602 | kahmad@jobstomoveamerica.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Over 600 Comments Submitted to Federal, Local Agencies on Micron’s Environmental Impact
Community members call on Micron to protect the environment, workers
Syracuse, NY — The public comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Micron Technology’s proposed semiconductor megafacility in Clay, New York closed yesterday, August 11, with over 600 comments submitted by residents, community leaders and organizations from Central New York and around the country.
The comments, submitted to the U.S. CHIPS Program Office and the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA), came from community organizations—including environmental advocates, labor unions and neighborhood groups—as well as hundreds of individual community members. Many of the comments call for enforceable commitments from Micron to protect the region’s environment, public health and workforce.
“This level of engagement shows that Central New Yorkers are paying attention, and they expect this historic investment to deliver real benefits—not just for industry, but for people and the community,” said Khadeejah Ahmad, a Syracuse-based organizer at Jobs to Move America (JMA). “Our community has seen what happens when big promises aren’t kept. We want this project to be different.”
In the over 600 comments submitted through JMA’s portal alone, members of the public raised concerns about:
- Toxic and Forever Chemicals Contaminating Air, Water and Communities: A long list of toxic and “forever” chemicals and toxic materials will be transported, stored, used, and disposed of by Micron in large quantities, with the high risk of contaminating CNY’s regional water supply, air and soil through improper disposal, incineration, accidents, and floods.
- Energy and Water Consumption: The project will consume more energy than the states of Vermont and New Hampshire combined and use 48 million gallons per day. In the DEIS, Micron does not provide a meaningful plan for how it will tangibly reduce greenhouse gas emissions or meet its commitment to generate renewable energy. It also provides no guarantees that the burden of Micron’s enormous consumption of resources and the enormous infrastructure upgrades required to meet them will not end up falling on utility ratepayers and New York tax payers.
- Workforce and Housing Impacts: Residents called for commitments to ensure family-sustaining wages for manufacturing workers, and guarantee equitable access to jobs for marginalized communities while also raising concerns about the project’s impact on housing affordability across the region
View JMA’s 100-page technical comment here.
The DEIS—a 20,000-page document released in late June—analyzes the potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the largest private investment in New York State history.
Jobs to Move America and its partners, including Sustain CNY, Urban Jobs Task Force, Citizen Action of New York, CNY Solidarity Coalition, CHIPS Communities United, the Sierra Club, and the labor union IUE-CWA, submitted comments and organized residents to submit comments and share their vision for a project that truly benefits the community.
“Over 600 comments send a powerful message,” said Ahmad. “Our community is not against economic development, but we insist on development that safeguards our environment, respects our workers, and creates lasting opportunities for everyone in Central New York.”
About Jobs to Move America (jobstomoveamerica.org)
Jobs to Move America is a strategic policy center that works to transform public spending and corporate behavior in manufacturing to benefit workers and communities. JMA uses a comprehensive approach that is rooted in racial and economic justice and community organizing. We seek to advance a fair and prosperous economy with good jobs and healthier communities for all.