MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC

Micron Technology is building a $100 billion semiconductor manufacturing complex in Clay, New York — four DRAM fabrication facilities to be constructed over 20-plus years, backed by $3.4 billion in federal CHIPS Act funding and up to $5.5 billion in New York State Green CHIPS incentives. The project is classified by NYSDEC as a Prevention of Significant Deterioration major source for greenhouse gases, carbon monoxide, PM10, and PM2.5, and a Non-Attainment New Source Review major source for volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides. At full buildout, the complex would consume 48 million gallons of water per day — more than the entire city of Syracuse.

On January 16, 2026, hours before Micron broke ground, Neighbors for a Better Micron (a Clay resident coalition) and Jobs to Move America filed suit in New York State Supreme Court in Albany against Micron, the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency, NYS DEC, and the Town of Clay Planning Board. The lawsuit alleges the 22,000-page Final Environmental Impact Statement fails to comply with the State Environmental Quality Review Act: the public comment period was limited to 47 days despite a petition signed by over 1,600 people requesting 120 days, and the FEIS does not adequately address destruction of approximately 200 acres of wetlands, increased flood risk, greenhouse gas emissions, or the discharge of PFAS forever chemicals into the Oneida River with no enforceable limits. Cornell University research on chipmaking wastewater identified 133 PFAS homologues, with non-targeted PFAS concentrations exceeding known compounds. The Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter submitted a 37-page comment letter documenting flawed Scope 2 emissions calculations, insufficient Scope 3 disclosures, air quality monitoring based on a station 70 miles from the site, and inadequate chemical disclosure. Over 1,200 public comments were submitted by residents, community leaders, and organizations including CNY Solidarity Coalition and CHIPS Communities United.

Micron also carries a $157,101 state VOC emission settlement and ViolationTracker documents $336 million in total penalties, though the bulk reflects non-environmental categories (price-fixing). The Clay megafab is a different order of magnitude: the largest private investment in New York State history, fast-tracked through environmental review over sustained community opposition, with unresolved questions about wetland destruction, PFAS contamination, and climate compliance under the state Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.