Town of Malta and Saratoga County officials gathered at a public hearing Monday, March 24, to weigh in on Advanced Micro Devices’ completion of the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for its proposal to build chip manufacturing plants at Luther Forest Technology Campus.
AMD’s impact on the town’s emergency services and how the company would manage its ecological impact were areas of concern for some town residents.
Brian Stekloff, of the Round Lake Fire Department, said AMD’s arrival would have an incredible impact on the town’s first responders, and he said the issue needed to be addressed.
There are some dynamic concerns for the emergency services of this town, said Stekloff, who is also a member of the town’s Luther Forest Technology Campus Community Response Board. He said that even just the construction phase of the project would be challenging for the town’s emergency services as they exist today.
`We are changing the scope of the emergency services needs in this town,` said Stekloff. `It is a much bigger scale.`
Mike Relyea, executive director of the Luther Forest Technology Campus, addressed environmental concerns such as exhaust, waste, and water management, by saying all of AMD’s impacts were already within the scope of Luther Forest’s existing environmental impact guidelines.
`We’re not starting from scratch here,` said Relyea. `This process has taken several years to complete. … The town of Malta, the town of Stillwater, have been partners in this process.`
Several representatives of Saratoga County’s various chambers of commerce spoke in support of the project, and County Supervisor Anita Daly said her home town of Clifton Park was `very envious of Malta` to be able to host AMD.
But some felt the public hearing devolved into an opportunity to either endorse or reject AMD’s proposed move to Malta.
Ann Klotz, wife of Malta Councilman Peter Klotz, said those assembled had lost sight of what the public hearing was supposed to address.
`This isn’t the time for everyone who supports this project to come in and ask us to go forward with it,` said Klotz, who also is a member of the Luther Forest Technology Campus Community Response Board. `This isn’t the time to say, ‘Yes, we want this project,’ or ‘No, we don’t want this project,’ this is about the completion of the SDEIS.`
A few residents spoke of concerns they had with the town’s agreement to assume responsibility for the construction and maintenance of 5.5 miles of interior roads for the chip fab plants.
`We shouldn’t be doing all of this work. AMD should be doing the work.` said former Councilman Cliff Lange.
Lange also urged the Town Board to take the reins in the entire process, saying that the board is too willing to allow AMD officials to dictate their schedule and needs to the town, instead of the other way around.
`AMD isn’t the big company here ` you are,` Lange said, gesturing toward the Town Board. `You are the bosses. You were elected to be there by the people of Malta. I ask you to fulfill that obligation.`
AMD officials plan to build three chip fab plants and bring 1,405 jobs to the area. Although the computer chip manufacturer has yet to commit to the site officially, it is currently going through the Malta Town and Planning boards to secure a building permit by the end of the year. The company has until July 31, 2009, to decide and still be eligible for $1.2 billion in state incentives.
The public comment period is open until April 1, according to Malta Supervisor Paul Sausville, and comments may be submitted to him by e-mail, in writing or by calling the town offices.
In other AMD news, much-needed grant money for the $67 million water system that would feed AMD’s three chip fab plants may be in jeopardy.
An $11.5 million state grant from the Environmental Facilities Corporation has been put on hold while the agency asks the Saratoga County Water Authority to sign an agreement stating the water authority will prevail in `any current or future litigation.`
Saratoga County Water Authority Chairman Jack Lawler has said that he cannot guarantee the outcome of any future litigation.
The $67 million project, which is dependent on a $4.8 million loan from the county general fund until the plant is in its seventh year of operation, is funded through $33 million in grants from sources including the Dormitory Authority and the Empire State Development Corporation. The $11.5 million EFC grant would be used to offset general project costs. A $10 million federal grant and a $10 million zero-interest loan from the state have also been secured.“