Resident warns proposed data centers could threaten wells, raise noise and energy burdens

Resident Denise McCullough told the Leavenworth County Board of Commissioners that a proposed data‑center campus near the north end of Tailgate Ranch could threaten local wells and reduce quality of life.

"Water is life," McCullough said, identifying herself and her address. She said her family uses a private well for household and livestock water and asked the county not to permit any large data‑center project without written, verifiable water‑use data, including average and peak gallons per day, the cooling method (evaporative, air‑cooled or hybrid), whether operators would draw from the aquifer or purchase water, and a drought contingency and wastewater disposal plan.

McCullough raised other concerns — high electricity use that could prompt rate increases, noise she described as audible up to 3 miles away and air emissions — and cited an organization she called Community Environmental Defense Services and its founder, Richard Klein, who has said data centers can raise certain respiratory risks for nearby residents. She also quoted a National Institutes of Health finding on particulate matter and premature deaths.

Commissioners urged McCullough to share the articles and technical notes she referenced and said staff and the commission are collecting information from other jurisdictions. During the administrative portion of the meeting, commissioners noted officials elsewhere have adopted actions such as requiring closed‑loop cooling, residential setbacks and limits on generator testing hours while assessing whether local rules or permit conditions are needed.

The meeting record shows no formal action to approve or deny a data‑center permit at this session; commissioners said they are gathering information and coordinating with neighboring jurisdictions before considering regulatory changes.