Micron’s memory chip megafab is on track to become the largest commercial venture in the state’s history and the largest chip manufacturing intricate in the country. Last Friday, authorities held a groundbreaking ceremony in the town of Clay, near Syracuse. The first chips could be delivered in five years, although the entire construction will not be completed for another 20 years.
Organizers and members of the Central Recent York United for Community Benefits Coalition — made up of about 25 mostly local interest groups — tell WIRED they welcome the project. They also appreciate that Micron has already committed to hiring locally and addressing some of the physical and social impacts of its construction. However, coalition members believe there is a lack of oversight and that Micron could get away with polluting the environment and worsening the situation in the region economic inequality.
“We want to have real, strong, transparent and enforceable commitments,” says Anna Smith, senior researcher at Jobs to Move America, a union-friendly national nonprofit that is helping organize the coalition.
on Wednesday, the coalition published the letter sent an email to Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, inviting him to meet and begin negotiations on a so-called social benefits agreement that would codify the company’s commitments on hiring, environmental protection and local investment.
Micron did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.
Companies like Micron are not obligated to enter into contracts with community groups. But the Recent York coalition is basing its campaign on similar efforts by other U.S. organizations. Some of them have successfully put pressure on enormous construction projects, such as: airport AND bus factoryto sign deals to invest in schools, build affordable housing, do more environmental research, or buy locally. Most importantly, these agreements can be enforced in court.
Supporters of the compacts say striking deals can aid companies neutralize opposition and forge a smoother path for construction, hiring and continued integration into the community. Regulations may include oversight panels and annual public reports. Database developed by Columbia Law School can be seen dozens of benefit agreements for major projects over the past decade.
“We have seen that such agreements negotiated by companies with coalitions like ours across the country benefit both parties, with employers, workers and community organizations working together to ensure that the needs of all parties are met,” the Recent York-based coalition wrote in a letter to Micron.
He added that the comprehensive agreement will “further fulfill Micron’s commitment to be a good neighbor” and ensure that its good faith promises “are translated into concrete, measurable benefits.”
Building more chips in the U.S. is a national security priority, and Project Micron has bipartisan support. However, this comes at a time when huge factories and data centers are subject to unprecedented public scrutiny, largely due to their significant water and energy consumption.
In the face of opposition, some projects have already been abandoned or moved. Organizers of the Recent York coalition believe that Micron’s campaign, if it leads to an agreement, could become a model for obtaining concessions even as development progresses. “This project can be done well,” Smith says. “Let’s reach the finish line together.”
I’m looking for commitment
Coalition members include environmental advocates Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter and SustainCNY; the racial justice groups Urban Jobs Task Force and the Syracuse chapter of the NAACP; and labor organizations, including Local 320 of IUE-CWA, the union representing factory workers.
They focused on Micron, in part, because of the public subsidies its project could ultimately receive…up to USD 25 billion. The company’s promise to hire 9,000 people has boosted support, but some community members remain concerned about the trade-offs. It is disturbing that local authorities are evicting a 91-year-old great-grandmother from the house where she has lived for 60 years to make room for Micron.