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Residents warn commissioners that data‑center refrigerants could threaten aquifer; county staff to follow up
Summary
Two residents urged the Lowndes County Commission to delay data‑center approvals, warning that refrigerant alternatives under recent EPA rules may contain PFAS ('forever chemicals') and that the local karst aquifer is easily contaminated; the board requested staff follow up on the concerns.
Two residents told the Lowndes County Commission they are worried about chemical and groundwater risks tied to proposed data‑center operations, and a county official said staff will follow up.
Jimmy Lafiles, who identified himself as a chemist and resident, said new EPA rules under the AIM Act push large refrigeration users toward alternative refrigerants, and he warned that many of the candidate chemicals he found are PFAS — so‑called "forever chemicals" that resist environmental breakdown. Lafiles described PFAS as highly mobile in water and persistent in the environment, cited the federal drinking‑water reference level of 4 parts per trillion and said that, in his research, an 8,000–10,000‑pound on‑site inventory could be plausible for a small‑to‑medium data center. He urged the commission to delay decisions until chemical impacts are better understood.
"They're called forever chemicals...they're highly mobile in water, they accumulate in biological systems, and they're toxic and known to be carcinogenic," Lafiles said. He added that, based on his calculations, a 50‑pound release of certain PFAS could contaminate large volumes of groundwater above the 4 ppt benchmark; he framed these figures as an illustration of the potential scale of risk and recommended caution.
George Fisher, a resident who said he has studied the local aquifer, described the county's karst geology as "transmissive" and easily contaminated. Fisher cited historical reports and a nearby USGS monitoring well (19r009) and said the well reading reached about 142.5 feet below ground level earlier this month and rose roughly 10 feet after recent rain. He warned the topographic drop between the proposed data‑center site and the river (he characterized it as about a 75–80 foot drop) increases the risk that contaminants could reach drinking‑water sources.
Ms. Duke, the county manager, acknowledged the public comments and said staff is gathering information; one commissioner asked staff (Paige) to follow up on the specific aquifer concerns. The transcript shows no formal action, votes or commitments to delay project approvals; commissioners agreed to continue fact‑finding.
The technical quantities and assessments described above were presented by members of the public and characterized in their own terms; they were not presented as county technical reports in the meeting record. The board indicated it will review information gathered by staff before any further official steps.
