Intel Shares Information on Cleaner Chipmaking Technologies(A)

The environmental justice group the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) and shareholder advocates including Trillium Asset Management have withdrawn a resolution at Intel after the chipmaker offered to share more information with local community groups.
For years, SWOP has raised concerns about Intel’s water use and air emissions at its large Rio Rancho chipmaking facility near Albuquerque, New Mexico. This winter, SWOP and a coalition of shareholders filed a resolution asking Intel to investigate and report how a new cleaner chipmaking technology that uses supercritical carbon dioxide could reduce Intel’s use of water and toxic solvents. The coalition withdrew its resolution after Intel published information about its investigation of the new technology on its website, briefed our group on its assessment of the technology, and agreed to conduct a similar briefing for local citizens in the Rio Rancho community. While Intel has not committed to using the new technology, SWOP organizing coordinator Robby Rodriguez notes that Intel’s response “opens a new dialogue with the community,” that he expects will move forward consideration of ways to reduce the impacts of chipmaking.