By Justin Matthews | Pinal Post
Photo via Casa Grande Planning and Zoning Commission
The Casa Grande Planning and Zoning Commission on January 8 rejected a conditional use permit for KPPC Advanced Chemicals to build a semiconductor chemical manufacturing plant. The vote was 3-4. Commissioners cited concerns about hazardous material trucks traveling through residential areas, as the city lacks a bypass route to direct them elsewhere.
KPPC Advanced Chemicals is part of the Kanto Chemical Group, headquartered in Japan, through its Taiwan-based parent Kanto-PPC Inc. The company supplies ultrapure chemicals to chipmakers including TSMC, Intel, and Micron. KPPC plans to build a phased chemical manufacturing campus on approximately 26 acres between Thornton Road and Burris Road, north of Commerce Drive.
Phase one would develop approximately six acres within the 26-acre project site for purifying and blending semiconductor-grade chemicals, including hydrochloric acid and ammonium hydroxide. The required purity levels are several million times lower than standard industrial products. Supporting operations would include warehousing, laboratory analysis, and quality control testing. Phase one would employ 58 workers on a daytime shift, with three overnight staff. An additional 24 acres to the north are not part of this phase or permit and would require separate approvals for future development.
