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Commissioner and residents urge legal review and caution over proposed data center projects
Summary
Commissioners and a public commenter raised concerns about the scale, noise, diesel emissions, and cumulative environmental impacts of proposed data center projects near county properties; the county and the housing authority said they will explore legal options including counsel engagement to protect county assets such as Aylesworth Park.
Commissioners and residents used the May 20 Lackawanna County meeting to press the board to examine legal options and community impacts related to several proposed data center developments in the county.
A commissioner (identified in the record as a member of the board) reviewed two projects—referred to in the discussion as Project Green Mountain and Project Gravity—and said the county does not own nearby Aylesworth Park, which is federally owned and leased to the county. The commissioner said the housing authority will assess legal actions to protect its property and that the county will continue to pursue information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about the park's status.
The commissioner described concerns over scale and cumulative effects: he cited Project Gravity as involving about 195 acres and 1,600,000 square feet of building, and expressed alarm about the cumulative total of projects already announced in the Mid Valley area. He warned that residents near housing developments could face ongoing noise from diesel generators that operate 24/7 for testing and backup power; the official said "low income families, in my opinion, should not be treated as collateral damage in this global AI arms race." He also cited a report from the American Lung Association noting Lackawanna County's grade in particulate matter and said the county's topography could concentrate emissions in valley areas.
The meeting record shows the housing authority's chair (Paul Walker, identified in discussion) and the authority's solicitor intend to seek counsel and consider intervention in current litigation or separate suits to protect housing authority property. The Valley View School District is also noted in the record as having voted to challenge a nearby data center because of proximity to schools.
Solicitor remarks and subsequent commissioner comments emphasized that standing and legal strategy differ by parcel and property owner; the record indicates continued coordination among the county solicitor, the housing authority and municipal attorneys as potential next steps. Commissioners said public concern has been sustained and that the county will keep pursuing available legal and administrative avenues.
The meeting closed after routine business and remarks. No formal county action to sue or to impose moratoria on data centers was recorded in the meeting minutes; discussion focused on exploration of legal options and ongoing information-gathering.
