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Markley Group diesel tanks prompt noise and emissions concerns; council refers permit to public hearing
Summary
A planning subcommittee report and council action referred Markley Group’s application for additional diesel fuel storage to a public hearing, after neighbors raised concerns about noise, emissions and incremental expansion of backup generators.
The Lowell City Council’s environmental and flood‑issues subcommittee reported June 10 that representatives of the Markley Group — a data‑storage company with an existing generator campus in Lowell — have applied for permits to install additional diesel storage tanks to fuel backup generators. The council referred the matter to a public hearing set for June 24, 2025.
Subcommittee Chair Councilor Belanger summarized a presentation from company counsel and staff: Markley provides data‑center services to national and local customers and plans a phased approach to add additional generator capacity as demand increases. Attorney Bill Martin and company representatives told the subcommittee the proposed steel tanks meet state and federal requirements and that weekly required testing means generators typically run only briefly — “five minutes per week,” according to the presentation.
Deputy Fire Chief Crabtree told the panel the fire department had signed off on the request for safety purposes. Sustainability Director Catherine Moses said the project complies with Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) regulations but recommended further discussions between Markley and the sustainability office about long‑term emissions and noise mitigation.
Neighbors and councilors expressed concern about incremental expansion. Councilor Scott noted a pattern of phased expansions and said abutters had reported the company has already acquired nearby homes and that additional tanks were under review by MassDEP. Other speakers urged that any permit be tightly conditioned and include mandatory periodic review and required meetings with the city’s sustainability director.
The subcommittee scheduled a site visit for next Wednesday evening so councilors and abutters can observe the facility, see the tanks and hear generator tests. The council referred the permit application to a public hearing on June 24, 2025.
The subcommittee and staff advised that city council licensing authority can include time limits and conditions; the solicitor’s office said the council could set the length of a license period and impose conditions within the scope of the statute governing fuel storage permits.
