Schumer: Army Corps of Engineers Standing in the Way of Attracting Mohawk Valley Nanochip Plant - In personal Call to Head of the Army Corps, Schumer Pushes For New Permit to Allow Project to Move Foreward

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that he has personally called Lieutenant General Robert L. Van Antwerp, the head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), urging the USACE to grant a permit for the nanochip facility in Marcy that is currently being held back because of burdensome requirements in the permit. USACE has previously issued a permit to the Mohawk Valley Economic Development Growth Enterprises (EDGE) that is currently preparing the property, but the permit included Special Condition 1, which stipulates that wetlands cannot be disturbed until the facility has a confirmed tenant. The inability to move forward with site preparation and construction plans has made it more difficult to attract a chip manufacturing company. Schumer believes that USACE should issue a permit that allows Mohawk EDGE to move forward with site preparations and construction, so that the facility can in turn attract a world-class, job-creating high-technology tenant.

"The Marcy Nanocenter has the potential to reshape the Mohawk Valley, and it should be allowed to move forward without delay," said Schumer. "I believe that if we build it, a chip manufacturer will come. I spoke to Lt. Gen. Van Antwerp to urge him to issue a clean permit that will help this facility get up and running, so that it can be an economic boost to the region and a site for thousands of new jobs. I am going to keep pushing as hard as I can to cut through the red tape and get the permit issue resolved, and look forward to working with local economic development officials to get the site prepped and a chip plant built."

On the call, Lt. Gen. Van Antwerp said that he understood how the uncertainty caused by the permit conditions could hinder the ability to attract a tenant, and pledged to look closely at the situation.

Mohawk Valley Economic Development Growth Enterprises (EDGE) has been preparing a property in Marcy, NY to market as a potential site for location of a $2-4 billion computer chip manufacturing facility which could host several thousand new jobs. A similar project is already underway in Saratoga County at the GlobalFoundries' semiconductor chip fab plant in Luther Forest Technology Park, Malta NY. It is the largest construction project in the nation. High-tech chip companies are already preparing for the next generation of manufacturing, which will follow fast on the heels of the GlobalFoundaries effort. According to EDGE, several international computer chip companies have expressed an interest in this location.

"We have a unique opportunity to capitalize on upstate New York's growing role as a center of high tech and innovation to make this area the world's center of chip manufacturing," said Senator Schumer.

EDGE has been working with USACE Buffalo District to obtain a permit for site preparations to attract a semiconductor manufacturer. Throughout the process, EDGE has sought a permit that would allow them to market the site to a semiconductor manufacturer. USACE has been willing to issue a permit, but because an end user for the site has not yet been identified, they have included a provision called "special condition 1" in the permit. Special condition 1 would prohibit EDGE from disturbing existing wetlands on the site until a semiconductor manufacturer has committed to the project site for the stated project purpose in the permit. EDGE believes that special condition 1 limits the marketability of the site, as potential tenants are unwilling to commit to the facility while uncertainty surrounds the permitting process.

Schumer believes that the project should be allowed to move forward and, once complete, it will be able to host a computer chip manufacturing facility that can revitalize the Mohawk Valley economy by creating thousands of new jobs. Throughout the permitting process, Schumer has pressed the USACE, including a personal call to Buffalo District head Ltc. Stephen Bales, to issue a clean permit without prohibitive conditions, so that site preparation and construction can move forward. He will continue to work with USACE officials at every level until that permit is issued.

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