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Residents urge Lee County to impose moratorium as concerns grow over proposed fracking and AI data center
Summary
Dozens of residents asked the Lee County Board of Commissioners to enact a temporary moratorium on fracking and any proposed on-site gas extraction to power a data center, citing groundwater risks, economic uncertainty in AI/data-center markets, and concerns about property rights and local health.
Dozens of residents urged the Lee County Board of Commissioners to adopt a temporary moratorium on fracking and any on-site gas extraction tied to a proposed AI data center, saying the county has time to study potential harms before an application arrives.
"If we are unable to pass a moratorium, at least make sure that they do all of the due diligence," said Matthew Clark, the first speaker in the public-comment period, arguing that an "AI bubble" and component shortages could make a large data-center investment risky and leave the county with little local benefit.
Residents at the meeting repeatedly raised water and health concerns. Sheila Sharrock, who said she…
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