Washington, DC – Following demands from community groups, the recently released final environmental impact statement for Micron’s Clay, New York facility includes a new appendix detailing the use, management, and disposal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the toxic “forever chemicals.”
“In the draft statement, there was no such appendix, and its inclusion is a victory for us and the nearby communities who could be impacted by hazardous substances,” said Lenny Siegel, executive director of the Center for Public Environment Oversight. “The final statement recognizes the importance of segregating and concentrating PFAS discharges within the factory, though in many other respects it’s still sorely lacking. There’s much more Micron must do to address its PFAS releases, particularly by improving transparency in both sampling and decision-making.”
CHIPS Communities United and partner organizations had raised concerns during the public comment period about the absence of clarity around PFAS monitoring and management in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Micron’s proposed semiconductor megafacility. The community groups called for more monitoring and stricter limits on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to protect public safety and human health.
“It’s no secret semiconductor manufacturing uses hundreds of different PFAS chemicals in a thousand different applications,” said Siegel. “Micron’s draft environmental impact statement does nothing to require that PFAS chemicals used at Micron’s factory will be destroyed. They will ultimately end up in biosolids, the river, or the atmosphere.”
PFAS are highly persistent and mobile in the environment, easily traveling through streams, rivers, and other water bodies, including drinking water sources. Because they break down very slowly, many PFAS can easily bioaccumulate in human beings, wildlife, and the environment over time. PFAS are highly toxic and linked to serious health problems.
“While the U.S. CHIPS Program Office and the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency have not done nearly enough to ensure the protection of public health and New York’s waterways from Micron’s future toxic effluent,” said Judith Barish, coalition director of CHIPS Communities United, “it’s a step in the right direction. We look forward to additional improvements in the future.” # # #
