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Residents ask West Richland council to limit data center zoning over water, energy and health concerns
Summary
Multiple residents urged the West Richland council to reverse or limit last year's zoning that allows data centers, citing potential strain on the electrical grid, water use, and wastewater contamination examples from Boardman; petition and calls for stronger public review were presented to the council.
Dozens of residents who spoke at the West Richland City Council meeting on May 19 urged elected officials to reconsider zoning that allows large data centers and to create a more protective review process before any application is filed.
Mikaela Leonon told the council that the Columbia Basin lacks a framework to evaluate cumulative impacts of multiple large-scale data centers on energy, water, emissions, air quality, noise and local infrastructure. She cited a 912-megawatt figure for a proposed facility footprint and warned that such demand could be the equivalent of tens of thousands of homes and would strain the local grid. Leonon also alleged high levels of nitrate contamination linked to industrial wastewater at a Boardman site and said Amazon agreed to a settlement in March 2026; she said West Richland well nitrate levels are already 4'5 parts per million and that blowdown from data centers could increase nitrates beyond federal limits.
Tony Carr said he had collected 395 signatures on a petition asking the council to reverse last year's decision zoning data centers as light industrial; he asked that any future approvals include public comment, full disclosure of information and community benefit agreements. Anna Kesse, Heather Sheldon and others asked the council to change zoning now rather than wait for an application.
Councilmembers expressed varying views. Councilmember John Smart said he welcomes more information but would not categorically ban a business that can meet the city's conditions; Councilmember Kate Moran and others said they were researching the issue and were open to limiting or eliminating data center allowances depending on evidence. Several council members asked staff to provide more analysis before decisions are made.
Council members and members of the public mentioned Boardman and a settlement tied to nitrate contamination as an example to study; the Boardman/Amazon settlement was cited by speakers in their testimony and was presented as a reason to be cautious, not as a council finding. No application for a data center was filed at the meeting and council did not take any legislative action on zoning that night.
Petitions, claims about water impacts and requests for a special review process were left as items for future consideration by staff and council.
