Former IBM Campus to Lithium-Ion Battery Plant

The photo above pictures local protestors opposing the proposal of SungEel's Li-Ion Battery Recycling Facility on July 25, 2020.¹¹
The IBM logo is seen on an Endicott building.⁴

"The Birthplace of IBM"

In the 1900s, small manufacturing firms began moving their operations to the Village of Endicott, NY. In 1906, businessman Harlow Bundy moved his International Time Recording Company (ITR) into an Endicott building. In 1914, businessman Thomas J. Watson worked for the Computing Tabulating Machine Company (CTR) and joined the ITR operation in Endicott. Together, they became International Business Machines (IBM) in 1924 at the large manufacturing campus now known as the Huron Campus.¹

Starting off with about 300 employees across 5 buildings, the Huron campus quickly grew to employ thousands across 25 buildings through the IBM manufacturing operation. The company produced technologies such as data processors, systems, and computers. IBM also hosted many educational programs and conventions for engineers.¹

IBM Contamination

In 1979, a 4,100 gallon chemical spill by IBM on the Huron campus prompted an investigation by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).³ The DEC discovered a larger plume of toxic chemicals underground than expected. This included trichloroethane (TCA), trichloroethylene (TCE), and perchloroethylene (PCE) which are all harmful carcinogens. Even though the plume was found underground, it contaminated the groundwater that locals drank. It also rose up into the air that residents breathed through a process known as soil vapor intrusion.²

IBM and the DEC cooperated to begin a massive cleanup of the toxic chemicals, monitor the water and air for further contaminants, and mitigate the long term effects of the pollutants.³ Crawlspace Ventilation (CSV) devices were installed in homes located in the affected area to prevent TCE contaminated air from entering living spaces. These are white plastic ducts that begin below the house and run up along the side of the house with blowers to redirect air from cellars and crawl spaces to the outside.²⁰ These ventilation systems are still visible today on many homes in the Village of Endicott.

In February of 2004, the DEC declared the Huron Campus a Class 2 State Superfund Site, meaning that its hazardous waste still posed a significant threat to public health and the environment. Since then, IBM and the DEC continued remediation efforts with the oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).³

Endicott Suffers

During the cleanup, the IBM plant in Endicott gradually downsized, laying off many workers in the process. This resulted in thousands of people in the surrounding area becoming unemployed.⁴ Even forty years later, Endicott has not been able to recover from its economic recession.⁵ As of 2021, the Village of Endicott has a population of about 13,000 people and it's in decline. Less than half of this population is employed and close to 20% live in poverty.⁶

Former workers of the IBM manufacturing plant were exposed to many harmful chemicals and are at a higher risk for cancers and other diseases today. Over the years, people have bought properties in Endicott without knowing about the contamination and its dangers. Today, they are still being exposed to toxic chemicals that can make them very sick, but it has become very difficult to sell the properties now that the contamination is disclosed.²

The abandoned Huron Campus is pictured above.⁴

SungEel Proposal

In September 2018, SungEel MCC Americas announced their plan to invest $23 million into the Huron campus in Endicott to start up a Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Plant. SungEel MCC Americas was the name of the partnership between two recycling companies, SungEel HiTech from South Korea and Metallica Commodities Corporation based in White Plains. They aimed to recycle 3,000 tons of Lithium-Ion Batteries annually and also create jobs for the community.⁸

On March 30th, 2020, the DEC issued an air emissions permit for the Endicott Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Plant. This meant that the DEC had conducted research on the processes this recycling plant would utilize and determined that SungEel would not be a major polluter. They established that SungEel must implement monitoring equipment, reduce the particulate limit, and prepare financially for the event they do not comply and will be shut down.⁹ 

Importance of the Lithium-Ion Battery

The Lithium-Ion Battery was developed in the late 1900s, as a more sustainable and efficient alternative to single use batteries. This technology uses lithium, as well as other metals like cobalt or nickel, to create a rechargeable battery that can be used many times before it is thrown out. Stanley Whittingham, a professor at Binghamton University, has played a big role in developing this modern technology. We see these batteries in many of our products today, such as our smartphones, laptops, and other rechargeable electronic devices. Stanley Whittingham has been recognized globally for his work and was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2019.

Engineers at a pilot recycling plant examine aluminum recovered from spent Li-Ion Batteries.¹⁰

These batteries are especially important in our lives today, and it is also important to recycle them for raw materials. This makes the manufacturing process cheaper and less environmentally damaging, as recovered metals from old batteries can be reused instead of mining for new metals. It also prevents old batteries in landfills from polluting the air and groundwater. But as of 2019, less than 5% of Lithium-Ion Batteries were being recycled and most of this was done using some form of a pyrometallurgical process. This process requires a lot of heat to smelt the metals but cannot recover them all, making it energy intensive, inefficient, and expensive. This process can also be dangerous for workers at the recycling plant and those living nearby because of the emissions released and the high risk for fires to break out.¹⁰ The SungEel proposal stated that they would use a pyrometallurgical process in Endicott.

Because the current commercial and large-scale processes for recycling Lithium-Ion Batteries are not completely safe or efficient, scientists and engineers are working to create cleaner batteries with longer lives and more power while developing better processes to recycle the materials. They believe that Lithium-Ion Batteries have the potential to mitigate climate change since they are rechargeable, create less waste, and can be used to develop more green technologies that depend on renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. This can help transform our economy that is currently dominated by companies exploiting nonrenewable resources and help to ensure a habitable climate for all.

Residents of Endicott Respond

At a public information meeting on November 6th, 2019, SungEel MCC Americas presented their plans for the Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Plant. This left some attendees concerned about the potential emissions, risk of fire, and growing truck traffic from the proposed facility. As word spread and SungEel was issued a permit, more residents became worried about the proposal and NoBurnBroome was formed on April 15th, 2020, to organize and build support against the recycling plant.¹¹

On May 7th, 2020, the Village of Endicott Board met over Zoom and voted 3-2 to allow SungEel to proceed with construction and eventually recycling operations. Almost 300 locals also joined the Zoom, mainly to voice concerns about the risks for further contaminants on the Huron Campus that would be produced through the smelting of metals during the recycling process.¹¹

Mayor Linda Jackson was quick to defend the Recycling Plant, assuring residents that it is not simply “an incinerator” and that they are working to make sure it will be a safe operation. Some local politicians, such as Ted Warner and Patrick Dorner, were not convinced and joined the opposition. Residents went forward with a petition to have their concerns heard.¹²

Then, NoBurnBroome's science team discovered that polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were present in some Lithium-Ion Batteries. These are harmful chemicals that can cause diseases such as cancer and reproductive issues. This was confirmed by the DEC, and SungEel quickly defended that these chemicals would be destroyed in their recycling process. In contrast to SungEel's statement, there was evidence that harmful levels of these chemicals, or toxic byproducts resulting from the high temperature decomposition of these chemicals, could be released through emissions. On May 20th, 2020, SungEel received notice of a modification to the permit conditions from the DEC that would only allow operation if they could demonstrate how they would sort out and exclude batteries containing PFAS compounds from being recycled in their plant, or demonstrate how the emissions resulting from PFAS in Lithium-Ion Batteries would be treated and prevented from being emitted at harmful concentrations and quantities.¹⁴

On July 25, 2020, about 50 protesters gathered in Endicott to oppose the Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Facility. Locals voiced their concerns about the processes SungEel uses to recycle batteries. They believed that the plant would emit toxins and further pollute the area, threatening their health and decreasing property values. They also felt that Mayor Linda Jackson and SungEel were not keeping communication open with the public since they were dismissing locals’ concerns while they were dealing with the effects of the toxic plume from IBM.¹³

Residents protest the SungEel proposal on July 25, 2020.¹³
A lawn sign in Endicott reads "No Battery Incinerator".¹⁶
Residents protest the SungEel proposal on July 25, 2020.¹¹

Many local organizations, such as the local group of the Sierra Club called the Susquehanna Group, made sure to research all aspects of the recycling facility and update the public. Valdi Weiderpass, then Vice Chair of the Susquehanna Group, wrote about the process to recycle Lithium-Ion Batteries and capabilities of the proposed facility in the Susquehanna Sierran, the newsletter of the Susquehanna Group.¹⁵ 

The science team of the NoBurnBroome organization eventually found that almost all Lithium-Ion Batteries have PFAS or PVDF compounds in them. This meant that complying with the modified conditional air permit issued by DEC and excluding batteries with PFAS from being processed at their proposed recycling plant would not be economically feasible. Meanwhile, research efforts of volunteers of Susquehanna Group were coming to many similar conclusions as NoBurnBroome was. The Susquehanna Group volunteers reached out to a leader of Network for a Sustainable Tomorrow (NeST, formerly called Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition). Together, they discussed the SungEel proposal with a Dean of Engineering at a Southern Tier university, in context of the evolving Lithium-Ion Battery designs and emerging improved recycling methods for them. Further communications resulted in a joint statement being issued on September 22nd, 2020, as a press release by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, the Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club/Susquehanna Group, No Burn Broome, and NeST, calling for further review by DEC with a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process and providing opportunity for official public comments.¹⁹

In February 2021, the trustees of the Village of Endicott Board passed a local law prohibiting recycling facilities in industrial zones. Over the next month, SungEel officially announced that they would no longer be running an operation in Endicott.¹⁶ Many locals were very pleased, with NoBurnBroome claiming that SungEel would not have protected public health or the environment in the Village of Endicott where residents were still suffering from the IBM plume.¹¹

Local Perspective: Valdi Weiderpass

Valdi Weiderpass grew up on a farm in the northeastern United States, learning to care about protecting nature at a young age from his parents. He earned a degree in chemical engineering and began working with General Electric after completing a work study program. After moving around for work, he ended up in Broome County, NY. There he went back to community college to earn an associates degree in Industrial Engineering. Now retired, Valdi uses his free time to research climate change. He strongly believes that it's important to stay informed about this issue and feels responsible to educate others in his community.

Valdi became an environmental activist in early November of 2010, joining the fight against hydrofracking in New York State after seeing a local screening of the film, 'Gasland'. He became interested in the Susquehanna Group of the Sierra Club, which covers much of the Southern Tier, after attending a meeting of the Group in February of 2012. At this meeting, Matt Ryan, then Mayor of Binghamton, gave a presentation on fracking and how 'home rule' allowed Binghamton to ban fracking in the city limits. Valdi then began joining protests and other community events.

The image above shows Valdi Weiderpass.

After New York State banned fracking in December of 2014, he became more involved with climate change activism. In 2015, Valdi was nominated as a candidate to join the Executive Committee that leads the Susquehanna Group of Sierra Club. He was elected by the membership for his first two-year term in January of 2016, re-elected in 2018, and again in 2020, when he agreed to be Vice Chair. In February 2021, Valdi became Chair of the group. 

Throughout the proposal and planning of SungEel’s Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Plant, Valdi spent over 200 hours researching the controversy. He was first made aware of the proposed facility when he received a phone call from William Huston, who later became a strong force in the opposition that became NoBurnBroome, about the public information meeting on November 6th, 2019. With his background in chemical and electrical engineering, Valdi published updates in the Susquehanna Sierran Newsletters for the public. He made sure to consider all perspectives of this controversy and only provide objective information so the community could form their own opinions about the plant.

In his initial research, Valdi found no significant concerns to this plant. He attended meetings about plans for the recycling facility, met with officials, and spoke with the DEC. Valdi found the expected emissions of the facility to be similar to other sources of emissions in the community, such as highways, trains, landscaping equipment, and gas stations. Because of this, he felt it could be a great opportunity to reduce emissions and combat climate change. Valdi was hopeful that this would keep waste from entering landfills and prevent further contamination of the surrounding area while reducing habitat destruction through mining.

Soon after Valdi began covering the SungEel recycling facility in his newsletter essays, opposition to the plant began to grow. Now living in the area himself and knowing the history of the IBM contamination, Valdi made sure to consider this side. He was very passionate about researching all aspects of the proposed facility thoroughly to ensure his community's safety. He spoke with local leaders of the opposition and was made aware of their concerns about certain emissions. He is thankful that the residents of Endicott organized and brought attention to the potentially dangerous PFAS compounds that were not accounted for. 

Valdi is proud that research and community involvement led SungEel to abandon their plans for the recycling plant in Endicott. He still believes that Lithium-Ion Battery recycling is a great opportunity to combat climate change but that it must continue to be improved and expanded in safer ways. Valdi also encourages all people to research on their own while getting involved with their community regarding environmental legislations and protections as the residents of Endicott did during this proposal. He reminds us that politics are heavily influenced by the fossil fuel industry and that we need political will for global change. Valdi hopes that we can move to become less dependent on fossil fuels and combat climate change altogether in the future.

BAE Systems employees are shown working on electric technology at their Huron Campus location.²⁴

Huron Campus Today

In March of 2012, BAE Systems announced plans to move their operations into the Huron Campus, following the flooding of their previous location.²³ Since then, they have employed over 1,300 people in the Greater Binghamton area. BAE Systems works to develop electronic technology for vehicles through research and manufacturing. They are researching and manufacturing electric motors, batteries, control systems, and more, for ground, marine, and aerospace vehicles.²⁴ In 2021, the U.S. The Department of Transportation granted $3.25 million to replace six of Broome County’s public transit vehicles with electric buses by 2023. The start of a transition to zero-emission vehicles, which was made possible by BAE Systems technology, is expected to reduce emissions in the area by 416 tons annually.²⁵ Emissions will continue to reduce as more diesel powered buses are replaced with fully electric ones.

In October of 2017, Andrew Cuomo announced that the newly formed Imperium3 New York will be occupying vacant buildings of the Huron campus and beginning the mass production of Lithium-Ion Batteries. Shailesh Upreti, who worked under Professor Stanley Whittingham at Binghamton University, became the president of the company Charge CCC4 (C4V). He then organized Imperium3 New York using grants and tax incentives his company received from New York State with the help of Binghamton University's Start-Up NY program. The operation aims to improve the technology of Lithium-Ion Batteries and produce up to 700 units per minute.⁷

Soon after SungEel's recycling facility plans were abandoned in April of 2021, Imperium3 announced that they had finally reached the funds to begin the Lithium-Ion Battery manufacturing operation at the Huron Campus. They expect to finish construction and begin production in early 2022. They have also partnered with Riverstone Credit Partners to produce efficient, green, and clean batteries utilizing years of research at Binghamton University. Imperium3 expects to employ over 150 people in the first year and hopes to create over 2,000 more jobs in the next decade.¹⁷ Locals who were concerned about the recycling facility, including NoBurnBroome, have not expressed concerns for the the battery manufacturing operation.¹⁶

Shailesh Upreti announces that Imperium3 will begin production at the Huron Campus.⁷

On September 22nd, 2021, Governor Hochul announced plans for Ubiquity Solar to begin manufacturing solar panels on Huron Campus.²¹ The Canadian firm produces photovoltaic (PV) panels used for power generation and aerospace purposes through low carbon and high efficiency practices. They plan to create 150 jobs and be fully operational by the end of 2022, producing 350 megawatts of PV cells which would be enough to power about 50,000 homes.²² Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo is very happy for this operation to take place in Endicott and to expand clean energy technologies.²¹

In October of 2021, the Huron campus was sold to a real estate company, Phoenix Investors. They plan to keep many of the employees already working on the campus, while also attracting some more high quality businesses. Phoenix Investors also claim to be continuing remediation of the toxic plume cause by IBM operations while making sure that all tenants are careful of their own waste and follow protocols to keep the surrounding area safe.¹⁸

Lasting Impacts

The unfortunate IBM plume brought a lot of awareness to the Village of Endicott about the dangers of toxic waste. This prompted locals to come together and oppose the potentially dangerous SungEel Recycling Facility. The Village of Endicott was able to prevent the facility from establishing in the community at all, and this made it clear that they would not stand to be taken advantage of again. The businesses moving into the Huron Campus today are finally bringing hope for safe and sustainable economic growth for the Village of Endicott after years of dealing with contamination.

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