Biden exempts some semiconductor factories from environmental reviews
Adds details of bill, comments by U.S. lawmakers, White House, background, paragraphs 2-13
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Oct 2 (Reuters) -President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed legislation that will exempt some U.S. semiconductor manufacturing facilities from federal environmental reviews that are receiving government subsidies.
Without the new law, projects from the $52.7 billion CHIPS Act of 2022 could have been forced to undergo additional federal environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to win federal permits.
Proponents say those projects had already complied with federal, state and local environmental regulations and permitting requirements and that without the change they could have potentially faced years of additional delays.
Environmental groups like the Sierra Club say the reviews are essential to "keep communities and workers safe from the hazardous contaminants used in the semiconductor industry."
The U.S. Commerce Department has allocated more than $35 billion for 26 projects including $6.4 billion in grants under the 2022 law to South Korea's Samsung 005930.KS, to expand chip production in Texas, $8.5 billion for Intel INTC.O, $6.6 billion for Taiwan's TSMC 2330.TW to build out its American production and $6.1 billion for Micron Technology MU.O to fund U.S. factories.
The White House said it will "continue to uphold our commitment to ensuring that semiconductor projects are built and operated in a way that meets clean water, clean air, endangered species, and other federal requirements and minimizes risks and impacts to workers, public health, and the environment."
The Semiconductor Industry Association had warned that without the law the reviews could have slowed or stopped projects already under construction.
The bipartisan legislation was co-authored by Democratic Senator Mark Kelly and Republican Senator Ted Cruz.
"By preventing unnecessary delays in the construction of microchip manufacturing facilities, this bill will help maximize our efforts to bring this industry back to America, creating thousands of good-paying jobs and strengthening our supply chains," Kelly said.
Cruz said the effort to streamline permits is "a crucial step in onshoring jobs and making our country less dependent on China for semiconductors critical to national defense."
U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren criticized the bill and said that California was home to sites that had been polluted from prior semiconductor or microelectronics manufacturing.
"We should be learning from this legacy and ensuring we don’t repeat it," she said, calling reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act "a vitally important tool in this regard."
Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington
Editing by Matthew Lewis
Mga Kaugnay na Asset
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.
