Resident urges transparency as proposed Richland data centers raise water and health concerns

Jamie Stayruk, a Richland resident, urged the City Council to require independent long-term environmental and health impact assessments for several proposed data-center projects, saying residents have seen "virtually no clarity" about zoning changes that allow data centers in the area.

Stayruk told the council she fears the projects will "consume more than the entire city itself," citing water and electricity demands and the potential for closed-loop cooling to concentrate contaminants. She pointed to incidents elsewhere — including brown water complaints and litigation in other states — and cautioned against industry-funded studies, saying, "Not like in Quincy, where their air quality assessment was paid for and conducted by Microsoft. That is like giving a child an eraser to grade their own final exam."

The resident asked whether the city has evaluated how cooling-system discharge would be treated locally or whether residents could be exposed to anti-scaling agents, biocides and anti-corrosives over a 10–20 year horizon. She requested greater transparency on how and why zoning was changed, whether infrastructure upgrades will impose costs on residents, and whether proposals should go to voters.

The council did not provide an immediate response; Clerk Rogers reminded speakers that public comment is "not designed for interactive dialogue" and that topics may be referred to the city manager for follow-up. No city staff presented a written environmental or health-assessment response at the meeting.

The next procedural step for the projects was not stated on the record. Stayruk requested third-party assessments before the projects advance, a request that would require council direction or staff follow-up to implement.