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Conneaut residents urge moratorium on data centers over water and pollution concerns
Summary
At the May 11 Conneaut City Council meeting, more than a half-dozen residents urged council to consider a 1–2 year moratorium on data center development, citing potential impacts on groundwater, Lake Erie, and local wildlife; one resident offered a pro-development view. Council said it is reviewing public input.
Dozens of residents told the Conneaut City Council on May 11 that the city should halt approvals for data centers while officials study effects on water supplies, wildlife and local infrastructure.
"We have to protect the natural resources in Conneaut," Patricia Evans, 207 Keyes Street, told the council during the public-comment portion of the regularly scheduled meeting, adding that she and her husband "enjoy paddling the Conneaut Creek and Lake Erie" and asked council not to "allow a data center to pollute the creek and lake." Other speakers cited similar concerns and asked for a short-term moratorium to give the city time to review environmental and public‑health implications.
Why it matters: Residents said data centers consume large volumes of water for cooling, create heat islands and generate various forms of pollution that could affect wells, aquatic life and tourism—economic drivers for Conneaut's lakeshore community.
Several commenters offered specifics. Sandy Shelenberger of Monroe Township urged a one- to two‑year moratorium to study the effects on "water tables and wildlife" and to allow time for local planning. Matthew McBride of Daniels Avenue warned of energy and air impacts, saying a data center uses "the same amount of energy as 100,000 homes or more." Stephanie Gildone cited research from the Earth Observation Group and national reporting, saying data centers can create measurable surface heating and that their water use sometimes returns only about 20% with pollutants that treatment plants may be unable to fully filter.
Organizing and next steps: Joel Specht invited council members to a community meeting at the Henderson Memorial Library on May 16, where petition signatures were being collected and information from Policy Matters Ohio would be discussed. Several speakers asked for more specifics from council about zoning, public meetings, and how the city would vet developers' water‑use plans.
A contrasting view came from Michael Sanford of Poore Road, who said data centers can bring investment, infrastructure improvements and tax revenue that could help schools, roads and emergency services. "A data center would support investment in infrastructure and tax revenue that would help teachers, schools, road improvements, emergency services and ease the burden on local taxpayers," he said.
Council response and context: Council members and City Manager Mr. Sanford acknowledged the comments and said resident input is being gathered. At the meeting's close, Council President Mr. Moisio and others "thanked those who have been attending meetings and sharing their feelings on data centers" and said the information is "not falling on deaf ears." The council did not vote on a moratorium or on any development proposal at the May 11 meeting.
What remains unclear: Speakers referenced petitions, outside research and planning work in nearby Geneva but no specific development application or site in Conneaut was described during the meeting. Any proposed ordinance, zoning change or developer application would need to be introduced and scheduled for council consideration before formal action could occur.
