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Residents press council to demand full environmental review of proposed AI data center
Summary
Residents urged Ridgecrest officials to oppose or require a full CEQA review of a proposed AI-ready data center in Inyokern/Inukern, citing groundwater overdraft, possible diesel-generator emissions, and uncertain long-term costs and jobs; council agreed to agendize the issue for further discussion.
Residents filled Ridgecrest City Council chambers on May 6 to oppose a proposed AI data center planned near Inyokern, urging the council to press state and county agencies for more disclosure and to require a full environmental review before approvals proceed.
"Water is not an expendable resource in our region," said Sarah Halsey, who described the Indian Wells Valley as a high-desert ecosystem struggling with groundwater overdraft and said the project's likely cooling and backup-generation needs posed unacceptable environmental risks. Kelly Cuts, another resident, urged the council to demand a full California Environmental…
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