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Universities present PFAS, waste‑treatment research as semiconductor expansion proceeds
Summary
Researchers from Clarkson, SUNY ESF and other centers described seed‑funded projects on PFAS sensors, treatment technologies and harmful‑algae mitigation tied to growing semiconductor manufacturing; they warned remediation at scale is costly and urged both substitution of problematic chemicals and investment in new treatment methods.
As legislators pressed ESD and industry proponents on semiconductor expansion, researchers from Clarkson University, SUNY‑ESF and other Centers of Excellence described ongoing work to address water‑quality and waste‑management risks that can accompany chip fabrication.
Speakers described seed grants that supported development and field testing of low‑cost PFAS screening sensors, electrochemical detection approaches, and prototype remediation tools. Witnesses also said the COEs had helped industry partners evaluate chemical substitutions and assess wastewater streams so that expansion of fabs could proceed with reduced environmental impacts.
Researchers cautioned that long‑term remediation (for example, legacy phosphorus dredging or watershed scale interventions) can require multi‑million‑dollar investments per lake or watershed. They urged the state to invest in both applied R&D and in site‑specific mitigation measures, and recommended coordination between DEC, ESD and local governments when citing energy‑ and chemical‑intensive facilities.
Why it matters: Committee members from districts with Finger Lakes and other water resources pressed for concrete mitigation plans. Researchers said technology exists to treat and monitor PFAS and algal toxins but that scaling solutions and controlling legacy nutrient loads are expensive. They recommended coordinating funding and regulations to avoid unintended local environmental harm as industrial activity grows.
What’s next: Researchers offered to follow up with DEC and assembly offices on site‑specific estimates and pilot projects for lake systems identified by legislators.
