The long-awaited Micron semi-conductor project received an important approval Tuesday that will allow the first steps of construction to begin. The scrutiny over environmental concerns and financial incentives has now reached the final stage.
“It is an important milestone today, it opens up the opportunity for that groundbreaking,” said Deputy County Executive Robert Petrovich, who is Executive Director of the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA).“It’s an important event to show that things are going to be happening.”
Petrovich couldn’t emphasize enough the magnitude of the approvals the agency unanimously adopted. One was accepting the final environmental review that covered traffic, pollutants, noise, and other issues that were raised through an extensive process.
“(It was an) unprecedented level of review, unprecedent requirements for a thorough analysis. So, as a result of that, it takes time. We wanted to make sure we did it right. We wanted to make sure we heard the public and all of their comments,” Petrovich added.
He called Micron a good partner in finding ways to mitigate concerns that were raised about construction and operation of the plant.
The other key agreement passed by OCIDA was the tax deal worth around $2 billion dollars. The company won’t pay sales taxes on construction materials, and pay only about 23% of the estimated property taxes over the next 49 years.
The agreements cover building of two chip fabrication plants, or fabs, with the possibility of building 2 more in the next decade. Completion of the first fab is expected in 2029 or 2030.
Micron also received approval to build a rail spur through which construction materials and land fill can be transported to the site, reducing the amount of truck traffic.
Looking ahead, the agreements allow Micron to seek building permits, with the hope of breaking ground with some site-clearing before the end of the year.