Onondaga County building treatment plant for Micron Technology

Onondaga County is building an industrial wastewater treatment plant for Micron Technology’s planned factories in Clay, about 13 miles north of Syracuse, New York.

The plant will process tens of millions of gallons of Micron’s wastewater each day. The county executive estimates that the plant will cost $1 billion, but county consultants have estimated the cost at $1.4 - $2.6 billion.

Legislature Chairwoman Nicole Watts initially withheld a key vote towards building the treatment plant until the county executive’s office provides answers about the project’s cost and how it would be paid for. Last week county executive Ryan McMahon said that the chipmaker will pay for construction as well as their portion of the user fees. Chairwoman Nicole Watts said she has talked with McMahon and was satisfied with the answers and is in favor of the legislature moving forward.

Micron says the first factory will start producing memory chips in 2030. The company says it plans to build four factories over the next 20 years at the corner of Route 31 and Caughdenoy Road.

McMahon said the county or a related development corporation he established in 2024 would borrow money through bonds to build the plant. Micron would begin making payments as soon as bond payments come due, through a user agreement still being negotiated, he said.

The treatment plant in Clay would be the single most expensive project the county has ever undertaken. The plant would be the last line of defense to prevent industrial pollution from Micron, including the use of “forever chemicals” ubiquitous in the chipmaking industry, from ultimately reaching Lake Ontario.

The district would include Micron and the county’s planned industrial park for suppliers, both at the corner of Route 31 and Caughdenoy Road. Only the users in that district would be required to pay for construction and operation of the plant. Initially, the only user would be Micron.