Extend the comment period and schedule five public hearings for Micron's Environmental Review.
Mr. David Frenkel, Environmental Division Director, U.S. Department of Commerce, Mr. Robert M. Petrovich Director-Economic Development for Onondaga County Executive Director-Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency
The draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the construction and operation of Micron’s Clay, NY chip fabs is expected to be released soon, along with the NY State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR). For a project of this size and scope, the DEIS is likely to be at least a thousand pages long. The law provides for a public comment period of 45 days from the day the DEIS is released. This is the only opportunity for the community to comment on and influence decisions that will affect the impact of the Micron project on CNY’s environment. The 45-day comment period is not sufficient time for the community to review and prepare comments for a project with the potential impact that Micron's construction and operation will have on the central New York Community.
A coalition of 12 CNY environmental and sustainability organizations have come together to form a coalition to address the environmental, economic, social and climate justice issues that the Micron project will bring to our community. The coalition, SustainCNY (www.sustaincny.org), is requesting a minimum of 120 days for public review and comment. Furthermore, we request that the US Department Of Commerce and the Onondaga County Industrial Development Authority (OCIDA) convene a minimum of five public hearings to be held at various locations throughout central New York, including Syracuse, Clay, and Oswego.
To engage public support, SustainCNY has created a petition requesting an extension of the comment period to 120 days and a minimum of 5 public hearings to be held during the comment period
The deadline for the petition is May 5, 2025
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To:
Mr. David Frenkel, Environmental Division Director, U.S. Department of Commerce, Mr. Robert M. Petrovich Director-Economic Development for Onondaga County Executive Director-Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency
From:
[Your Name]
The draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the NY State Environmental Quality Review for the construction and operation of Micron’s Clay, NY chip fabs are expected to be released soon. The public comment period of 45 days is not sufficient time for the community to review and prepare comments for a project with the potential impact that Micron's construction and operation will have on the Central New York Community
We request that the comment period for public review be extended to 120 days. Furthermore, we request that the USDOC convene a minimum of five public hearings to be held at various locations throughout central New York, including Syracuse, Clay, and Oswego.
The impacts which the project will create, both positive and negative, will be transformative to this community. It is essential that all aspects of this project be undertaken in a sustainable fashion to preserve and protect central NY’s natural and built environment, as well as the public’s welfare, health and safety. Allowing adequate time for the public to review and comment on the DEIS is important to fostering the project’s and the community’s sustainability.
Environmental, as well as economic impacts, range from air quality to wetlands and wildlife, and involve GHG emissions, highly hazardous industrial chemicals, traffic, wastewater treatment, massive water and energy consumption, population growth, employment equity, worker health and safety, and other matters. Adequate time must be provided for the public to not only review and understand the impacts, but to make informed comments on the information that public officials will use for project permitting decisions.