Hunt County officials pledge state outreach and expert study after residents raise water, health and noise concerns over proposed data center

Hunt County commissioners heard more than a dozen residents describe immediate and long-term concerns about proposed data-center development in unincorporated Wheeland and nearby areas, then agreed to pursue state outreach, expert review and public forums rather than attempt an immediate local ban.

At a special meeting on March 25, residents told the court they had learned of proposals only days earlier and asked county leaders to require independent testing and stronger oversight. "I'm more concerned, I suppose, about the county officials being unaware of this until supposedly only two weeks ago," said Carol Davis during public testimony, urging formation of a community task force of local experts, utilities and emergency responders.

Other speakers cited local impacts they said they had observed near similar facilities: construction truck traffic and road damage, night-time light pollution, persistent low-level noise and vibration that residents worry could affect livestock and sleep, and potential air and water pollution from backup generators and cooling systems. "We would request the county to mandate a chemical testing annually for toxins regarding electric," said Megan Landreth, who lives adjacent to the planned site.

County staff and the county civil attorney explained how authority is currently distributed under Texas law. The attorney said key powers over water allocation, permits and pollution rests with state entities and river authorities, not with counties. "Every single drop of that water is spoken for," he said of Lake Tawakoni and described the role of the Sabine River Authority (SRA), certificates of convenience and necessity (CCNs) and contract-based water allocations.

Given those limits, the court focused on near-term steps to gather information and influence state policy. Commissioner Gary Smith framed the meeting as fact-finding: "What are we asking ourselves to go do tomorrow and then the next day and the next day to try and get our arms around this and have a good solid plan?" Commissioners and staff agreed to: ask their state representative for help drafting targeted legislative options; invite subject-matter experts (water and utilities, fire marshals, environmental scientists, economic valuation specialists); accept Core Scientific's offer to hold one or more town halls (evening sessions); and arrange site visits to existing facilities (Denton, Granbury or Paris) with staggered attendance so a quorum does not create an unadvertised meeting.

Speakers also raised fiscal and land-use questions: staff explained that appraisal classifications come from the appraisal district and, if the property becomes a major commercial facility, its value and tax classification would change (possibly affecting local tax rates), but any revenue impacts would be realized only after construction and appraisal cycles. The county also noted it lacks general zoning authority in most unincorporated areas; planning, septic, fire and other code requirements are handled through state and local permitting processes.

The county closed the session with a set of next steps rather than regulatory actions. The court agreed to coordinate with SRA and local utilities to better understand proposed water demands, to seek technical briefings on cooling systems and fire safety, and to ask the county attorney to草draft specific legislative requests for the next session. Core Scientific offered to host a more detailed public presentation within 30 days.

The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which passed by voice vote. There were no formal votes recorded on regulatory measures during the session.

The court plans follow-up meetings once experts and state representatives have been consulted; residents were encouraged to submit written questions and evidence for inclusion in the countyrecord.