Photo by Janet L., Sierra Club Niagara
Several years ago, the Sierra Club Niagara Group began working to oppose development of the proposed mega-industrial site known as the Science Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP). This is being planned in Genesee County by the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC). The site sits in an environmentally and culturally sensitive location for many reasons:
STAMP is located amidst wetlands, woods and wildlife preserves which are home to thousands of migratory birds and endangered species, including the Short-Eared Owl and the Northern Harrier Hawk. It is adjacent to the Iroquois National Wildlife Refugee, two other state wildlife preserves and the Territory of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation.
Because the Tonawanda Seneca Nation borders the STAMP development, the land its Citizens use for hunting, fishing and cultural activities is threatened.
There is no industrial infrastructure to carry water to the site, or wastewater and sewage to treatment plants. Pipeline construction will be very destructive to the wetlands, woods and wildlife preserves. GCEDC’s first effort to build the pipeline for wastewater to be discharged into Oak Orchard Creek ended temporarily when hundreds of gallons of drilling fluids spilling into the wetlands.
The plans called for the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to provide hydropower from Niagara Falls at a low cost with no greenhouse gas emissions. However, diverting up to the proposed 600 Megawatts of renewable electricity, enough to power of 100,000 homes, would undermine New York’s efforts to meet our climate change goals under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
It may come as no surprise that the STAMP development has been foundering because it is located in an area with no readily accessible water/sewage/wastewater lines or other necessary infrastructure, so the costs keep escalating, despite millions of dollars in NYS tax incentives. Only one tenant is actively constructing at the site, Edwards Vacuum.
The Proposed Data Center
At a February 2025 hearing, the GCEDC received over 800 public comments in opposition to three recently proposed data centers. Nevertheless, GCEDC approved one of the applications (entitled Project Double Reed) from a developer called Stream US Data Centers, LLC
This development proposes to build a massive 990,000 square foot data center (the size of 15 football fields) and would receive a grant of $471.5 million in tax breaks! 250 MW of hydropower would be allocated to this project while backup diesel generators could use as much as 60,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year which would emit about 533 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Soot and other harmful air pollutants will also be released when diesel is burned.
The data center would produce noise levels that could affect the health and quality of life for nearby residents and drive away wildlife. The data center is proposed to be built right up to an adjacent wetland and within a half mile of the Nation’s Big Woods.
When GDEDC approved the data center, it also determined that he environmental impacts of Project Double Reed were consistent with the environmental review that was done in 2012 (before data centers were interested in this location) so a new Environmental Impact Study under State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) is not being required for this project to move forward.
The Sierra Club disagrees. We are suing the GCEDC in order to require a new full environmental review that complies with the requirements of SEQRA.
To learn more about this lawsuit, please contact us at niagarasierra@gmail.com.
If you would like to donate to this campaign, there are several ways to do it!
By check: For a tax deduction receipt make the check payable to Sierra Club Foundation and write Niagara Group in the memo. If you don’t need a tax deduction receipt, make it out to Sierra Club Niagara Group and write STAMP lawsuit in the memo. Mail checks to Sierra Club Niagara Group, P.O. Box 1127, Williamsville, NY 14231
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