Residents warn of environmental, permitting risks as Wythe County considers data center approvals
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Summary
Multiple residents told the Wythe County Board of Supervisors that a proposed SolusRx hyperscale data center poses noise, light, air-pollution and wetlands risks, and that permits and stop-work orders raise legal exposure for the county.
Several residents urged the Wythe County Board of Supervisors to pause or reassess approvals for a proposed hyperscale data center, citing permitting gaps and environmental risks.
Denise Davis told the board the centers pose health and wildlife risks, citing an "environmental health project" dated Feb. 27, 2026. "The construction and maintenance of a data center does not indicate that a data center in any part of Wythe County would sustain the optimum quality of life for all citizens," she said, urging supervisors to reconsider further approvals.
Stacy Beamer, speaking in part for Andy Kegley, said she had contacted the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Wildlife Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about the project. She told the board the county had issued a notice of violation and a stop-work order to the site contractor and asked whether required permit applications and a performance bond had been filed.
A speaker identified in the transcript as Jeff Macquarie said SolusRx "has failed to obtain required plans and permits from Virginia DEQ and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers," and that the project's developer had been issued a stop-work order. He repeated public reports that the county could expect "up to $10,000,000 per year" in revenue from the facility but questioned long-term local job benefits and transparency from the company.
Sarah Bates said she had reviewed roughly 1,000 pages of documents and flagged historic records of endangered bats and a green mussel in Reed Creek, and she warned that the county could be "on the hook" if permits were not properly transferred. "I think there's things going on you don't seem fully aware of," Bates said, urging a moratorium.
Board members did not act on any new land-use approvals during public comment. Chair closed Citizens Time and moved to the regular agenda. The comments will be part of the public record ahead of future land-use discussions and the board's April 23 public information meeting on land-use classification and zoning.
What happens next: the board is scheduled to hold a public information meeting on zoning April 23; residents and staff indicated state and federal agencies have been contacted about wetlands and permitting questions.
