the united states will pass a chip exemption bill, but why are american environmentalists so dissatisfied?
2024-09-27
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white house officials revealed on the 26th local time that u.s. president biden plans to sign a new "chip act" and pass the bill to exempt some semiconductor manufacturing projects from federal licensing requirements and eliminate external concerns about environmental assessments and lawsuits that may delay domestic progress in the united states. concerns about chip factory construction.
this week, after experiencing strong opposition from top democrats but some democratic members still defecting, the "made in america chips act" was finally passed in the house of representatives.
a white house official revealed that president biden will sign the bill, "which will allow us to continue our efforts to ensure that americans across the country benefit from the promise of investing in america while protecting communities and the environment."
legislative analysis experts said biden's decision may intensify the differences between the "pro-business" and "environmental protection" factions in the democratic party. not only that, but the legislation may also anger more environmentalists, who see the bill as a potential threat to the environment.
who is the biggest winner?
the successful breakthrough is considered a major victory for the chip lobby.
the "chip and science act" passed in 2022 provides us$39 billion in subsidies for the us chip manufacturing industry, aiming to promote employment growth and industrial production capacity in the united states. at present, many chip companies have committed to investing approximately us$400 billion in building factories in the united states. however, under the national environmental policy act, recipients of subsidies must be reviewed by federal environmental agencies before they can receive funding.
soon after the bill was signed, industry lobbyists began pressuring congress to exempt some projects from the national environmental policy act and shorten litigation time for others. without the changes, lobbyists warn, construction of chip projects and biden's promised renaissance of high-tech industry could be delayed by months or years.
after years of lobbying, the latest bill seeks to eliminate or reduce many of the national environmental policy act's requirements for new chip projects.
however, rep. frank pallone of california, a member of the house science committee, has called on biden to veto the bill. the sierra club and more than 20 other environmental groups have also previously sent a letter to house democrats calling on them to oppose the bill and warning president biden that if he signs the bill, it will harm the environment and the administration's climate agenda.
environmentalists disagree
according to the newly passed "made in america chip act", if a chip project starts construction before 2025, only obtains a loan (not a grant) from the government, or receives a federal subsidy of less than 10% of the total project cost, then " the american chip construction act would exempt projects from environmental review.
but the change angered environmentalists, who criticized the commerce department for being too hasty in suggesting that the project site would not have a significant environmental impact.
some environmentalists believe that abandoning environmental protection review may make the chip projects currently multiplying across the united states a "failure" for biden's political legacy. judith barish, coordinator of chips communities united, a coalition of labor and environmental groups, said the bill passed by the house undermines a range of government goals, including those around climate and public health commitments.
“we don’t want to see the legacy that the chip and science act may create: workers getting sick from toxic chemicals on the job, kids in nearby schools and communities getting sick from air pollution, or residents getting sick from their well water and the aquifer is polluted.”
semiconductor industry association spokesman dan rosso said in a statement that the chip industry "is a global leader in promoting environmental sustainability and worker safety" and that modern chip facilities "feature advanced manufacturing technology and strict safety standards and emission controls.”
(this article comes from china business news)
