SK hynix has announced a series of small, invitation-based meetings with questions required to be submitted in advance through the company’s website.
These meetings are not city-hosted, not publicly moderated, and not designed for open dialogue. They function as a classic bulldozer strategy: move forward with the project while managing optics, limiting participation, and controlling the narrative — rather than engaging the full community in a transparent, accountable way.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1MhTh7q1wp/?mibextid=wwXIfr
At the same time:
- No public town hall has been held after May
- No independent experts are present.
- No binding commitments are released.
- Critical questions raised for months remain unanswered.
Small meetings may be useful for public relations. They are not a substitute for public process.
Who Is Paying for the Wastewater Expansion?
West Lafayette City Council has approved $8.1 million in bonds recently to pay for planning and design work to expand the city’s wastewater treatment plant capacity — from 10.5 million gallons/day to 15 million gallons/day.
City officials have stated this expansion is intended to support 20 years of growth, including the planned SK hynix facility.
What remains unclear — and deeply concerning — is this:
- SK hynix previously indicated it would cover infrastructure costs needed for its project.
- Yet the city has now approved public bonding for wastewater expansion planning.
- No estimate has been released for total construction costs.
- No binding agreement has been disclosed showing how or when SK hynix would reimburse taxpayers for capacity built specifically to serve its facility.
Planning bonds are only the first step.
Once capacity is expanded, the financial and environmental risks shift to the public.
Residents deserve clear answers:
- Who ultimately pays for construction
- Who pays if costs escalate?
- Who bears responsibility if discharge volumes or contaminants increase?
Advancing infrastructure before these questions are resolved locks the community into the project — another hallmark of bulldozer-style development.
Growth is not the issue.
How and where growth happens is.
City leaders have a responsibility to weigh alternatives — not treat a single proposal as inevitable.
Why This Matters — Now
Decisions being made today will shape:
- wastewater capacity and discharge for decades,
- environmental risk and regulatory leverage, and public finances for long term
Once heavy industrial capacity is built and permitted, future oversight becomes harder, not easier.
What You Can Do
- Call for a real public forum
Ask for a city-hosted public town hall, where questions are asked openly, answers are on the record, and participation is not limited or pre-screened by a private company. - Mayor: eeaster@westlafayette.in.gov
City Council: CityCouncil@westlafayette.in.gov - Ask for financial clarity
Urge City Council to publicly explain who will pay for wastewater expansion costs — not just planning, but construction, long-term operation, and environmental risk - Make the issue visible
- Share this update with neighbors and community groups so residents understand what’s happening before decisions become irreversible.
- Consider displaying or requesting a yard sign — visibility matters and shows these concerns are community-wide, not isolated.
- Stay engaged and informed
Attend City Council meetings, submit public comments, and follow updates on court proceedings and local actions.
👉 Follow and subscribe:
https://www.facebook.com/stopheavyindustry
- Support the legal effort if you’re able
Even small contributions help sustain the case and signal to both the court and city leaders that residents remain committed and engaged.
👉 Legal fund:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-our-neighborhood-from-industrial-threat
West Lafayette deserves real engagement, real answers, and real accountability — not managed conversations after the fact.
—Stop Heavy Industry Team
Links to learn more:
https://www.basedinlafayette.com/p/city-councils-wrap-limits-on-data