Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment Project Bacara topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents near proposed Bacara project press Surprise council about water, noise and health risks
Summary
Multiple residents and community members used the council's call to the public to press concerns about a proposed nearby natural‑gas power plant and data‑center project (referred to as Project Bacara), citing well depletion, noise, air emissions, proximity to homes and schools and requests for independent environmental review.
Dozens of callers and in‑room speakers raised concerns at the Sept. 2 Surprise City Council meeting about Project Bacara, a proposed facility described in public comments as a 700‑megawatt natural‑gas power plant and adjacent data center. Most speakers said the project is located off city property in unincorporated Maricopa County but argued it would have direct impacts on Surprise residents.
Several residents described proximity and environmental concerns. Angel Gomez, who said he works in the mission‑critical industry and lives in Surprise, said the project proposes "18 natural gas fired combustion turbine units" and warned of large annual emissions and health risks, particularly for children at nearby schools. "This project will literally cook our area and its surroundings through its 24/7 combustion of natural gas and emission of toxic pollutants," Gomez said in public comment.
Misty Morris and Destiny Hurst, who said they live near the project area in Waddell, raised worries about groundwater and private wells. "Already, our wells are being very... pressured to provide us with water with all the plants that have gone in," Morris said, asking what recourse neighbors have if wells decline. Hurst asked whether an independent environmental impact study has been completed for a five‑mile radius and voiced concerns about noise and public health.
Resident Holly Tomitroff, whose home she said is the closest to the proposed site, described fears of constant generator noise and visible exhaust stacks near homes and farms. "I worry about the aquifer our well pulls its water from, my children developing life altering health conditions because I allowed them to live next to this environmental monstrosity, and being stuck in a home that I can't afford to sell because it's dropped 15% in value," Tomitroff said.
Council members and staff said the city lacks permitting authority over a project sited in unincorporated Maricopa County, but that staff are tracking the project and awaiting final studies. Mayor Kevin Sarter told speakers the city is "listening" and staff reported attending public meetings and collecting technical reports from the developer and county; staff said they would review submitted studies and coordinate with county and state agencies as appropriate.
Speakers asked the council to seek or demand independent environmental studies and to coordinate with Maricopa County and the Air Quality Division. No formal council action was taken; councilmembers encouraged residents to file comments with the county and to provide documents to city staff so Surprise can incorporate resident concerns into its reviews and advocacy.
