Community will receive an overview of what a State Environmental Quality Review environmental impact assessment is and how it informs project design
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (June 12, 2024) — The Broome County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) will hold an informational webinar on Tuesday, June 25, at 6 p.m. to provide the public with an overview of the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQRA) environmental impact assessment process for the proposed Broome Technology Park spanning the towns of Maine and Union.
The webinar will walk community members through why a General Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) is being prepared for the project and the steps involved in this comprehensive process. Leaders from the IDA, along with subject matter experts, will present information about the project’s objectives and explain how the environmental review, coupled with ongoing public engagement, will shape the project's future.
Members of the public and media wishing to attend are asked to register ahead of time.
Webinar details:
Date: Tuesday, June 25th
Time: 6 p.m.
Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yO_swWi5SKqCFPqrF-Qj5g
This webinar is part of the IDA’s comprehensive public engagement strategy to help inform the community about the vision for the Broome Technology Park and solicit input crucial to shaping the plan for a sustainably designed technology park that makes the greatest positive impact on Broome County and the Southern Tier.
As part of the SEQRA process, community members first will have an opportunity to provide formal comments on the scope of the draft GEIS and what potential environmental impacts the IDA should assess. A draft scoping document is expected to be released for public review this summer. Once public comments have been received and a final scope is accepted, the IDA will proceed with preparing a draft GEIS. The draft GEIS also will be released for public comments before it is made final.
“We are dedicated to ensuring transparency and active community participation leading us to a Broome Technology Park that secures a brighter economic future for the county and the region,” said Stacey Duncan, CEO of the Leadership Alliance, the strategic partnership between the Broome County Industrial Development Agency/Local Development Corporation and the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce. “We welcome the public’s input throughout the SEQRA review and believe that at the end of this process, we’ll be able to move ahead with a site that becomes a model for sustainable economic development statewide.”
About the project
The Broome Technology Park is a proposed 526-acre development aimed at creating a new sustainably focused technology park that attracts businesses in advanced electronics, semiconductors, test packaging, and related supply chains, as well as life sciences and agricultural processing. It would be Broome County’s first new business park since the Broome Corporate Park site in Conklin was put together in the mid-1980s. That development is nearly 100 percent occupied, and Broome County lacks other sufficient space large enough to accommodate the needs of high-tech-related development. The IDA’s vision is for a site that features facilities built with sustainable materials, has access to renewable energy resources, utilizes green infrastructure, and incorporates amenities that benefit both on-site workers and the community, such as walking trails and public art.
For more information on the proposed tech park and the state environmental review process, community members can visit broometechpark.com.
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