The United States allowed the builders of semiconductor factories to harm the environment a little

The outgoing US presidential administration continues active legislative activity, creating conditions for the successful implementation of the “Chip Law,” which provides for the construction of new enterprises in the country for the production of advanced chips. Companies participating in the subsidy program will be exempt from additional environmental assessment of projects.

Image Source: Intel

The corresponding decree was signed by US President Joseph Biden this week, as Reuters explains. Otherwise, builders of new factories would have to undergo strict environmental audits as required by the 1969 law to receive government subsidies. This does not mean that environmentalists will turn a blind eye to the methods of project implementation; it is just that the US authorities proceed from the assumption that these projects already comply with all the requirements of American legislation, including environmental protection. Additional expertise would increase the time frame for their implementation, which the authors of the initiative do not want to allow.

Under the so-called “Chip Law,” the US authorities have already managed to allocate more than $35 billion for the implementation of 26 projects for the construction of new enterprises producing chips in the country. Of this amount, $6.4 billion is intended for Samsung Electronics, which is going to build at least one new enterprise in the state of Texas, Taiwanese TSMC will receive $6.6 billion in subsidies for the construction of two enterprises in Arizona, Micron will receive $6 for the expansion of its enterprises in two states, 1 billion, and the main beneficiary is Intel, which is earmarked for $8.5 billion in non-refundable subsidies. However, each of the potential recipients of public funds must still undergo a strict audit procedure.

The country’s authorities emphasize that projects implemented in the United States in any case must meet requirements for the level of water and air pollution, the protection of rare species of plants and animals, and also ensure the safety of personnel and surrounding residents. However, the new decree also had critics among American legislators, who refer to the sad experience of the state of California, which at a certain stage in its history hosted quite a number of environmentally harmful industries related to the semiconductor industry.