Onondaga County development officials gave a key approval to move the Micron microchip project forward on Friday. Micron’s Final Environmental Impact Statement was unanimously accepted as complete by the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA). Getting this part of their proposal accepted was a hurdle Micron had been working on for months.
OCIDA Director Bob Petrovich said he is satisfied that concerns about the project’s potential environmental effects have been addressed.
“This is a huge project [with] lots of impacts, and just because you have issues doesn’t mean you can’t mitigate them,” said Petrovich. “Some things can’t be mitigated. To build on a site, you’re going to have to deal with wetlands, and there’s a strategy to deal with wetlands.”
The final, accepted impact statement responds to public concerns over water and air quality, traffic, noise and other ways the massive project will change the community.
“The document is completed, the instrument has been fully vetted and we feel like the issues have been fully examined, exhausted and, to the extent possible, addressed,” said Petrovich.
Prior to OCIDA’s ruling, there was a 45-day public comment period on the drafted impact statement, including public hearings. The board did not agree to extend the comment window past that timeframe.
OCIDA Board Chair Pat Hogan said he feels comfortable that the public was able to provide input.
“Anytime the public participates, I love seeing that,” said Hogan. “Everybody’s very interested in the project because I think they see how transformative it will be for the whole community.”
County Executive Ryan McMahon was one of the frontrunners who fought hard to lure Micron to Central New York. He called the board’s decision a monumental and tangible step forward.
“With the submission and acceptance of the Final Environmental Impact Statement, Micron has successfully submitted a historical amount of information representing incredible due diligence,” said McMahon.
McMahon said this statement represents the culmination of a multi-year effort done on a scale that has never been seen before in Onondaga County.
State Senator Chris Ryan also weighed in, calling the milestone “one step closer” to a transformative investment in the region. He said it promises good paying jobs and further economic development.
“From the outset, I have emphasized that any development of this magnitude must deliver for the people of our region,” said Ryan. “From the workers who will build and operate the facility, to the neighborhoods whose quality of life must be protected [and] the small businesses positioned to benefit from new economic activity.”
Officials believe construction could begin with site-clearing activities before the end of the year.
