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Residents press council for transparency and EIS as union leaders tout jobs for proposed Hermantown data center
Summary
At a packed Hermantown council meeting, speakers split sharply: residents demanded transparency, an EIS and safeguards against long‑term risks, while union and economic groups highlighted job creation and regional opportunity.
Hundreds of residents and advocates filled the Hermantown council chamber and several took the podium on March 16 to speak about a proposed hyperscale data center (referred to in testimony as Project Loon). The public‑comment period featured more than two dozen speakers who voiced sharply divergent views on whether the project belongs in a rural residential area.
Opponents emphasized process and permanence. Dozens of residents asked why the city engaged in negotiations that some described as having been shielded by nondisclosure agreements, and several called for a site‑specific environmental impact statement (EIS) rather than an alternate AUAR process. Common concerns included potential impacts on wetlands and trout streams, long‑term traffic and lighting effects,…
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