County engineer orders erosion controls at Progress Park data-center site after DEQ complaint
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Summary
Wythe County staff issued a stop-work/violation notice at the Progress Park data center site after DEQ reported active excavation near mitigated wetlands; the contractor installed silt fence and hydroseeded, and the county is requiring additional sediment-control measures and plan revisions.
The Wythe County engineer reported on April 6 that the county issued a violation and stop-work notice after a DEQ complaint about active excavation at Lot 35 of the Progress Park data center site.
County staff observed equipment on the site and noted clearing and denuded areas down-slope toward a mitigated wetlands area and Reed Creek. The engineer said the county required the contractor (a subcontractor to Branch) to install protections and that the contractor responded by installing about 1,400 feet of silt fence and hydroseeding much of the denuded area.
County staff are reviewing the erosion control, grading, and stormwater management plans (currently the county has the erosion and grading plans but not building plans). The county engineer said typical sediment ponds capture about 60% of sediment and that the county will require additional measures — for example, gabion baskets wrapped with silt fence baffles — to increase capture and protect the wetland and downstream water quality. The engineer also flagged a pump station and force main adjacent to the site that the data center plans to use, noting the need to ensure stormwater flows do not silt in the mitigated wetlands.
The reported work included tree cutting and tracked equipment near drainage areas; the engineer urged the developer to finalize and submit full plans and agreed to require enhanced sediment controls to reduce the risk of siltation. The county will continue plan review and monitoring and has said it will coordinate with DEQ as necessary.
