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Residents press Stafford supervisors for stricter data-center rules, cite water and health concerns ahead of Oct. 21 hearing
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Summary
Multiple residents urged the Stafford County Board of Supervisors to adopt stronger data-center standards at an Oct. 21 joint hearing, citing potential impacts on the Rappahannock watershed, large diesel-generator emissions, and disputed county fiscal projections for data-center tax benefits.
A large and sustained block of public comment at the Stafford County Board of Supervisors’ Sept. 16 meeting focused on proposed data-center development and the county’s planned joint public hearing with the Planning Commission on Oct. 21.
Residents urged the board to adopt more stringent standards and disclosure requirements for hyperscale data centers, warning of risks to water supplies, air quality and public health.
"Please pass the new ordinances," Karen Fox told the board, arguing that rapid data-center growth and rising electricity and water demand require "stewardship and modern guardrails." She said communities and officials need better transparency about water and energy use before large campuses are approved.
Several speakers raised technical concerns about backup diesel generators and air emissions. Connie Barrow cited a DEQ air permit for a Potomac Church project and said the permit listed 50 diesel generators for two buildings — and that large campuses could mean hundreds of generators emitting fine particulates near homes, parks and day cares.
Residents also criticized the county's fiscal projections for data-center tax revenue. CJ Hart Helder and others said the comp plan's estimate (cited as $18.5 million per 1,000,000 square feet) lacked transparent methodology and may overstate revenue because of equipment-replacement cycles, partial replacements and potential tax incentive rebates.
Chair Deonte Diggs and staff previously announced the board had unanimously scheduled a joint public hearing with the Stafford Planning Commission on Oct. 21 to consider new rules for data centers. That joint hearing was presented to the public as the forum for formal testimony and potential ordinance changes.
Multiple speakers recommended regional coordination on water planning; Supervisor Bamke said she had met with the Friends of the Rappahannock and the George Washington Regional Commission and encouraged cross-jurisdictional planning to assess cumulative impacts if multiple data centers are approved.
The board did not take ordinance action on Sept. 16; staff and supervisors reiterated that the Oct. 21 joint hearing is the next formal opportunity for action. Residents were directed to the county website for information on the hearing and to participate in public comment at that meeting.
