Residents urge Lee County commissioners to impose moratorium on fracking and proposed AI data center
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Summary
Dozens of residents and environmental advocates told the Lee County Board of Commissioners that proposed on-site gas extraction and a planned AI data center would threaten groundwater, property values and local control and urged a temporary moratorium to study impacts before applications arrive.
Dozens of residents and environmental advocates urged the Lee County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 5 to adopt a moratorium on drilling, hydraulic fracturing and the development of a proposed AI data center on the Deep River watershed.
At the start of public comments, Matthew Clark told commissioners: "I specifically wanna voice my opposition to the data center," warning the "AI bubble is starting to deflate" and arguing private-equity backing and component shortages make the economic case for a local data center and on-site gas extraction uncertain. Multiple speakers echoed that theme, saying a rushed project could leave the county with an abandoned facility and compromised groundwater.
Several residents detailed local concerns about water and health. "I'm very concerned about fracking on the Deep River destroying the groundwater," Sheila Sherrick said, noting she could not afford to connect to city water if a well were contaminated. Emily Sutton, Haw Riverkeeper and executive director of Haw River Assembly, told the board a fracked-gas project along the Deep River "will most certainly threaten groundwater supplies and the surface water supplies through that ground water recharge." Sutton said the organization would provide materials and asked the county to act proactively.
Stephanie Gans, representing Clean Water for North Carolina, said the county has not yet received a formal application but that an article making the project public "gave Lee County the gift of time and foresight." Gans urged the board to consider a temporary moratorium to study potential impacts and review regulatory options; she said she would send a legal summary from the UNC School of Government on moratoria authority.
Several speakers raised economic arguments against the project, saying local job gains would be limited while property values and long-term tax base could be harmed. "All it took was usually one big economic tragedy to leave a community in ruin," said Kelsey McLean, describing experience in rural communities.
A few speakers leveled stronger accusations. Randy Nixon said developers would "turn this place into a dump" and accused unnamed officials of being susceptible to influence; the chair interrupted to ask for factual support and later the chair publicly apologized for comments suggesting board members had been paid. Other speakers expressed frustration and urged the board to protect residents before any application is filed.
Board members and staff responded in procedural remarks during public comment: commissioners reiterated they do not yet have a formal application to consider and that public comments would be taken under the public comment rules. Several commissioners asked staff for clarity about what had changed since the last meeting; staff and speakers said they were responding to a recent media article describing plans and to public concern.
The public comment period closed with a multi-hour record of speakers requesting a moratorium and independent study; the board did not take immediate action at the meeting but staff and members indicated the topic would be considered in future meetings and at the retreat.
