Environmentalists are pushing President Biden\u00a0to veto\u00a0a bill that would weaken federal scrutiny of semiconductor manufacturing.<\/p>\n
But Biden is\u00a0reportedly set to sign the legislation, which has moved quickly through both the House and Senate\u00a0and has support from lawmakers in key swing seats.<\/p>\n
The bill would\u00a0exempt semiconductor manufacturing facilities that receive federal funding from environmental reviews.<\/p>\n
Opponents warn that it could lead to less oversight of the industry and more pollution.<\/p>\n
Harry Manin, the Sierra Club\u2019s deputy legislative director for industrial policy and trade, said that if the legislation becomes law, \u201cit\u2019s going to be completely secret going forward whether facilities are using PFAS and other harmful chemicals.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIt\u2019s not going to have to be reported,\u201d Manin said. \u201cThat really was the last protection that communities and workers had …\u00a0<\/strong>the promise of transparency \u2014 so that then through federal, state and venues with the companies [they] can negotiate for mitigations and in some cases eliminations.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The bill unanimously passed the Senate late last year with little fanfare. This week it sped through the House, passing the lower chamber 257-125 on Monday despite not being subject to any House committee hearings.<\/p>\n
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, told The Hill that not sending the bill through committee represented a \u201cmajor departure\u201d from typical procedure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She added that it would be \u201cunwise\u201d to eliminate environmental reviews completely, given historic pollution tied to semiconductor manufacturing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In floor speeches, other opponents raised similar concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cSemiconductor manufacturing has never been clean. It’s left behind pollution, toxic waste and even poisoned workers,\u201d Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) said Monday. \u201cWe\u2019re talking miscarriages, cancer and entire communities still dealing with the fallout today.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that the legislation \u201cintends to throw all those lessons out the window and bring back the same toxic mess we saw in Silicon Valley, only bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite these concerns,\u00a0a White House official\u00a0told Politico<\/a>\u00a0that Biden would sign the bill into law.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The official said in a statement that the legislation \u201cwill allow us to continue our efforts to ensure Americans across the country can benefit from the promise of the Investing in America agenda while protecting communities and the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
White House spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment from The Hill about whether Biden would sign the bill or how he would respond to environmentalist criticisms.<\/p>\n
The legislation follows 2022\u2019s CHIPS and Science Act,\u00a0which\u00a0put $280 billion<\/a>\u00a0into building, expanding and modernizing semiconductor manufacturing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Semiconductors are used in a wide range of technologies ranging from phones and computers to weapons systems to renewable energy.\u00a0<\/p>\n