Manufactering Chips with Shortcuts Negatively Impacts Human Health and Surrounding Environment
Manufactering Chips with Shortcuts Negatively Impacts Human Health and Surrounding Environment
The enactment of the CHIPS and Science Act two years ago marked a significant bipartisan achievement, securing billions in funding to revive semiconductor production within the United States. This was beneficial not just for our economy and national security, but also in our battle against climate change. These miniature electronic chips transform sunlight into electricity in solar panels, regulate power flow in wind turbines, and manage battery life in electric vehicles. They serve as fundamental components in the transition towards clean energy. However, manufacturing these essential components can be quite polluting.
Doubling the concern, Congress recently passed the Building Chips in America Act, exempting numerous chips manufacturing projects funded by the government from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA assessments serve as a fundamental safeguard for communities, evaluating potential impacts on local air, water, and wildlife prior to construction commencement. This could be troublesome given that organic solvents, acid gases, harmful metals, PFAS, and other hazardous substances are prevalent in chip manufacturing.
We need only look to Silicon Valley as a reminder. Once the birthplace of microchip production, Santa Clara County boasts the highest number of Superfund hazardous waste sites among all American counties. Decades of unclean chip manufacturing processes have not only affected workers but also harmed nearby residents as manufacturing waste stored in underground tanks leaked into groundwater supplies. For instance, in the 1980s, the state health department concluded that a cluster of birth defects and miscarriages in a San Jose neighborhood was linked to organic solvent contamination from the local chip plant.
Despite Silicon Valley's semiconductor heyday decades ago, the process remains far from clean. Current U.S. plants discharge thousands of pounds of chemical compounds into the air annually. This includes acid gases as well as ammonia, a major contributor to lung-damaging particulate pollution.
Last year, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality imposed fines on Intel for failing to control air emissions of acid gases at its Hillsboro chip production facility. Plants also produce large volumes of solid and liquid waste. The Intel plant in Chandler produced 15,000 tons of waste in the first quarter of 2021, more than half of which was hazardous. The same plant is planning to expand its operations with funding from the CHIPS Act.
A particular class of chip-making chemicals, per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pose a significant problem. Well-researched PFAS are linked to cancer, thyroid and liver diseases, miscarriages, decreased fertility, obesity, and other severe health issues. Nicknamed “forever chemicals,” they are highly resistant to degradation in the environment and nearly impossible to eliminate, resulting in their widespread presence in drinking water and virtually all of our bodies.
The states anticipated for significant microchip production growth, such as Michigan, Ohio, and North Carolina, are struggling with manufacturing job shortages while simultaneously dealing with PFAS pollution crises that could potentially worsen with expedited projects. Currently, there are no restrictions on releases from chipmaking facilities or requirements for proper PFAS waste disposal. Implementing NEPA reviews could, at the very least, help ensure that chipmakers adopt responsible water management and safe waste disposal practices. At a minimum, it would be beneficial to insist that these plants modify their National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits to address their PFAS releases, and that other PFAS wastes are treated as Resource Conservation and Recovery Act hazardous wastes.
Our communities do not require toxic water and air to provide new employment opportunities. Lawmakers can find ways to implement community protections and inspire innovation towards the use of alternative, less harmful chemicals in chip manufacturing. The U.S. cannot build a clean energy future on a polluted foundation.
The recent passage of the has raised concerns, as it exempts numerous chips manufacturing projects from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessments. This could potentially lead to increased use of hazardous substances like PFAS in chip manufacturing, given their prevalence in the industry.
Despite the benefits of the , there's a need to address the environmental consequences of semiconductor production. The use of hazardous substances in chip manufacturing, such as PFAS, which are linked to various health issues, should be carefully managed to protect both workers and nearby communities.