Letter to Major General Merdith W.B. Temple

Letter

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer urged the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) to provide assurances that USACE will support entering into a wetland permitting process for a provisional wetland permit for the Science, Technology, Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) in Genesee County, a major development that is planned to transform a 12,000 acre site into a home for new high tech manufacturing plants. A provisional permit would help enable STAMP's developer, the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC), to secure a commitment from a major high-tech or clean-tech manufacturer to locate to the STAMP site, by assuring the company that wetlands permitting issues have been addressed and will not impede the development and construction of a future production plant on the site. This level of assurance is critical to landing tenants at STAMP, and in turn prevents GCEDC from impacting wetlands until such a time as is absolutely necessary, such as when a tenant has committed to the site.

According to GCEDC, STAMP has the potential to attract new commercial development that in turn would bring $1.4 billion in private investment, 1,275 new full time jobs, and 4,000 total regional jobs within its first five years of locating to STAMP. It is therefore critical that the USACE support this effort and enter into a wetland permitting process with GCEDC so that it can move STAMP from the pre-development phase into implementation.

"High tech manufacturing at the STAMP site in Genesee County has the potential to reshape the local economy and Western New York, and it should be allowed to move forward without delay," said Schumer. "With access to low-cost power, transportation networks, and a world-class workforce I believe that if we build it, a job-creating buyer will come. With its unique assets, several companies have looked to locate at this site before and likely could have if it was shovel-ready. Therefore, I am urging the Army Corp to commence this wetland permitting process that will help this technology park move from planning to shovel-ready implementation, so that it can be an economic boost to the region and a site for thousands of new jobs. I am confident that Army Corps will get on board, and together can join local economic development officials in getting the site prepped and a game-changing manufacturing plant built."

For well over five years, the GCEDC has performed a host of pre-development work including preparing a Generic Environmental Impact Statement, an economic impact study, a planning and design report, and negotiated land purchase options. In addition, the GCEDC has completed an on-site evaluation of aquatic resources and is coordinating with USACE to complete an off-site alternative analysis in accordance with 404(b)(1) guidelines in anticipation of applying for a wetland permit. Genesee County needs all of these pieces in line before it can seek a high-tech or clean-tech manufacturing plant as a tenant at the STAMP site. Schumer noted that already, USACE has granted GDEDC the wetlands jurisdictional delineation determination, and is urging USACE Acting Commanding General Major General Merdith Temple to take the next step and provide a documented assurance that USACE will enter a wetland permitting process to grant a provisional wetlands permit for STAMP. This will help ensure that GCEDC and USACE will work together to meet all permitting statutes and regulations once a tenant is confirmed, an important assurance for any potential high-tech manufacturing STAMP tenant.

Schumer highlighted in his letter to Major General Merdith Temple that the STAMP site encompasses all of the critical elements needed in developing a technology park in Genesee County. The location leverages infrastructure, proximity to transportation networks, and has available low-cost utilities to keep the project economically viable while still attractive to lure high tech manufacturers. Specifically, STAMP is in close proximity to the I-90 interchange, has high capacity electric transmission lines and a large scale high pressure gas line that traverse the site providing robust utility capacity and reliability, and is within the geographical zone to be eligible for low-cost hydropower. The importance of these assets is evidenced by visits and interest for relocation to the STAMP site by companies like Yahoo and Verizon. However, those companies could not ultimately choose to relocate to the STAMP site, because it was not currently shovel-ready. Schumer's push, in partnership with the GCEDC, would help move the development of the STAMP site forward.

A copy of Senator Schumer's letter appears below:

Major General Merdith W.B. Temple

Acting Commanding General and Acting Chief of Engineers

U.S. Army Corp of Engineers

441 G Street NW

Washington, DC 20314-1000

Dear Major General Temple,

I write to seek assurances from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) on a wetlands permitting issue, which is integral to move forward on a transformative economic development project that has the potential to attract thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars in new investment to Western New York. Specifically, after nearly six years of pre-development work, the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) is finalizing their development plan to transform an over-1200 acre site in western Genesee County into a shovel-ready "Science, Technology, Advanced Manufacturing Park" (STAMP) to attract the next major high-tech manufacturing plant to the region.

Developing a technology park on this scale requires in-depth planning and multi-agency cooperation to ensure it is shovel-ready with all the necessary permits in place to be turn-key ready for development. As such, over the past six years the GCEDC has performed a host of pre-development work including preparing a Generic Environmental Impact Statement, an economic impact study, a planning and design report and negotiated land purchase options. In addition, the GCEDC has completed an on-site evaluation of aquatic resources and is coordinating with USACE to complete an off-site alternative analysis in accordance with 404(b)(1) guidelines in anticipation of applying for a wetland permit.

I appreciate the USACE granted GCEDC the wetlands jurisdictional delineation determination earlier this year and now I ask that you provide documented concurrence that USACE will continue to support this effort and enter into a wetland permitting process with GCEDC open to issuance of a provisional wetland permit for the STAMP site, providing that GCEDC continues to work with USACE to meet the permitting statutes and regulations after a tenant has been confirmed. A provisional permit will enable the GCEDC to extend the needed upfront assurance to any potential STAMP tenant in order to secure their commitment to locate at STAMP. This level of assurance is critical to attracting a major high-tech manufacturing plant to STAMP. It both assures the potential tenant company that wetlands permitting issues have been addressed and will not impede the development and construction of their build-out, while safeguarding wetlands until a tenant is committed to the STAMP site.

Among the various alternative sites evaluated, only the preferred STAMP site leverages infrastructure, proximity to transportation networks, and available low-cost utilities to keep the project economically viable while still attractive to lure high tech manufacturers. It is minutes from the I-90 interchange, has high capacity electric transmission lines and a large scale high pressure gas line that traverse the site providing robust utility capacity and reliability, plus the site is within the geographical range to be eligible for low-cost hydropower. This convergence of assets at the preferred STAMP site are highly desired by industry as evidenced by the fact that in the past four years ten companies, including solar cell manufacturers and data center owners like Yahoo and Verizon, have visited the site and considered locating there if only it were shovel-ready. Moreover, GCEDC has modified their original STAMP design concept to significantly reduce the potential wetland impacts from 69 acres to less than 9 regulated acres. The alternative sites are either outside the low-cost power area, create more potential wetlands impacts, or are prime farm land and thus cost prohibitive to acquire.

Again, I appreciate your consideration of this request. As projected in the GCEDC's economic impact study, STAMP would attract commercial development that could bring $1.4 billion in private investment, 1200-plus new full time jobs, and 4000 total regional jobs within its first five years. It is therefore critical that GCEDC receive this provisional wetland permit assurance so that it can move from the pre-development phase into implementation. Please feel free to contact my Washington DC office at 202-224-6542 to further discuss this matter.

Sincerely,

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer

Cc: Commander, USACE Buffalo District

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