A coalition of environmental groups and labor advocates is calling on the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency to extend the public comment period for Micron’s environmental review.
Standing outside the agency’s office, 14 groups urged officials to extend the public comment period from 45 to 120 days. They say the 20,000 page report is too complex for the public to fully understand in such a short time.
“There’s a lot of highly technical information in there,” said Hilary-Anne Coppola, a community organizer with the Heath Law Office. “We’re working with policy experts, legal experts, environmental scientists, chemical scientists, people with experience with semiconductors, hydrologists… because those issues are all pertinent—as well as housing, transportation, land disturbances.”
To manufacture chips, Micron will need to tap into Lake Ontario’s water supply. After reading the report, Don Hughes, a representative of the CNY chapter of the Sierra Club, wants specifics as to how the company will treat its wastewater discharge. “Let’s urge Micron to fully and completely treat their wastewater with technologies that do exist,” he said.

Hughes is also concerned about how Micron goes about the disposal of PFAS chemicals created once it’s operating.
Mbonimpa Barnabas works for Lockheed Martin and hopes the future Micron workers will be protected from exposure and have strong labor rights.
“They need to keep their jobs, have good jobs, be able to advocate for themselves, be able to unionize and be safe from those PFAS,” she said.
The coalition delivered at least 1,500 petition signatures asking the IDA to extend the public comment period from 45 to 120 days to allow for broader community participation.