Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Residents press Cumberland County for moratorium, stricter rules on AI data centers; commissioners say they will weigh next steps
Summary
Dozens of residents urged the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on March 23 to impose a temporary moratorium and stronger zoning and reporting for large data centers, citing water, air, noise, health and equity concerns; the board asked the county attorney about adopting a moratorium under General Statute 160D and said it will consider next steps.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Dozens of residents on March 23 urged the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners to pause and tighten rules before permitting large AI and data-center projects, raising water, air, noise, public-health and equity concerns and pressing the board to adopt at least a one-year moratorium.
At a special public-input meeting called by Chairman DeBier, speakers from neighborhoods across Cumberland County described perceived risks posed by data centers, including large daily water withdrawals, diesel backup-generator emissions, light and noise pollution, and limited local job creation. "Let's put a one-year moratorium in place," said Lorena Murray of Lockwood Road, who told commissioners the county should study and adopt restrictions that "contribute to our way of life rather than take away from it."
The meeting drew a mix of personal testimony and technical appeals. Dr. Christina White, a board-certified internal-medicine physician who works in Cumberland County, urged officials to consider published…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
