In the News
Semiconductor Plant Permit Carveouts Stoke Environmental Worries
The exclusions brought on by the Building Chips in America Act could leave communities worried about heavily polluted water, air, and soil reliant on contract language between chip makers and the federal government—language that doesn’t always materialize, according to Harry Manin, deputy legislative director of policy and trade at the Sierra Club.
November 27, 2024
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November 26, 2024
Workers demand more transparency after Intel secures $8B CHIPS funding
CCU applauded Intel's commitments to bring workers to the table, adopt the "most protective health and safety standards for chemical exposure," "segregate PFAS-containing waste for treatment and disposal," and " make environmental compliance public when it comes to energy and water use," CCU coalition director Judith Barish told Ars. But the enforceability of the promised workplace safety conditions remains a concern at Intel's facilities.
September 26, 2024
Biden will sign bill to speed chip projects, breaking with some Dems, environmental groups
Harry Manin, the deputy legislative director for industry policy and trade at the Sierra Club, said its objection is about transparency. “Without environmental review and without public awareness of whether there are any climate and environmental health commitments baked into contracts at all, the administration’s climate, environmental justice, and worker safety goals are in serious jeopardy,” he said.
September 26, 2024
Environmentalists hate a fast-moving chips bill. Biden looks poised to sign it.
Harry Manin, the Sierra Club’s deputy legislative director for industrial policy and trade, said that if the legislation becomes law, “it’s going to be completely secret going forward whether facilities are using PFAS and other harmful chemicals.” “It’s not going to have to be reported,” Manin said. “That really was the last protection that communities and workers had … the promise of transparency.”