A chapter in the lengthy story that is Advanced Microchip Devices’ quest to build a factory in the Town of Malta came to a close on the evening of Monday, Aug. 5, as the town board voted to accept the project’s supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS).
The unanimous vote brought the town one step closer to finalizing what has become a lengthy examination of the project.
This environmental review process and the town’s due diligence are getting closer to an end, said Town Supervisor Paul Sausville before the vote.
Another step is scheduled to be taken on Monday, Aug. 11, at 6:30 p.m., when a public hearing will be held to give members of the community an opportunity to comment on changes to the planned development district (PDD) legislation. The changes are available for review at the town clerk’s office.
Submitted in February, the PDD has undergone multiple drafts and been the subject of numerous town board workshops. The town wrapped up final revisions in one such workshop on July 29.
The final PDD issues standing were matters of environmental monitoring. The chipmaker will need to comply with ISO 14001 standards and join the new Department of Environmental Conservation Environmental Leaders program.
AMD has proposed construction of a $3.2 billion microchip fabrication facility at Luther Forest Technology Campus. If completed, the project promises to bring 1,465 jobs to the area. AMD has until July 2009 to commit to LFTC and still be eligible for a $1.2 billion state incentive package.
In other business, the Town Board also tabled a motion to study the creation of a new sewer district for the Cramer Hills Neighborhood. At issue are the scope of the study and the extent of the problem. Sausville said that after a survey was mailed to the residents, the town knows of six failing sewer systems in Cramer Hills.
Residents at the meeting told the board there was originally 11 failing systems, but some had since been repaired.
The council decided to reconsider the boundaries of the district before starting a study.
The cost of the proposed study would be $18,900. If a sewer district was formed, the residents within it would assume the cost, to be dispersed over time. If no district was formed, however, the town would assume the cost.“