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Residents urge Fort Worth to pause data center approvals amid water, noise and health concerns
Summary
Hundreds of residents told the council to impose a moratorium on large GPU-powered "AI" data centers, citing water consumption, noise and uncertain health and environmental impacts; speakers asked the city manager to start a moratorium process before further approvals.
Dozens of Fort Worth residents and regional advocates pressed the City Council on June 9 to halt new data center approvals until the city can complete stricter reviews of water use, noise and public-health impacts.
The public comment period, one of the meeting's longest, featured speakers from neighborhood groups, technologists and health-care workers who described a range of concerns about large-scale "AI" facilities: unchecked water withdrawals, continuous low-frequency noise, diesel generator emissions and limited local benefit from the projects. "Put in the damn moratorium," said Jonathan Demerest, a resident and organizer, summarizing the demand voiced repeatedly by speakers.
Speakers also questioned financial trade-offs. Several raised the use of tax abatements in other jurisdictions, noting that county-level abatements tied to earlier data centers reduced property-tax receipts. "We need independent environmental health and economic impact studies," said Blaine Tulle, a local precinct chair, arguing that revenue projections do not account for long-term infrastructure costs.
Technical testimony highlighted a particular threat from GPU-based AI facilities, which speakers and a local technologist said use far greater compute and cooling resources than traditional server farms. Ambika Sharma, who helped draft a moratorium proposal circulated to council members, told the council that the city's current planning materials did not distinguish GPU-intensive sites from lower-intensity facilities.
Advocates asked the council to instruct City Manager Jay Chapa to begin a formal moratorium process and to coordinate with regional and state agencies on grid and water impacts. "The uncertainty is the argument for a moratorium, not against one," said Nidia Cardinz, citing statewide planning gaps on data-center water use.
Council did not immediately adopt a moratorium at the meeting. Staff previously told the council that certain regulatory powers lie with state agencies for grid and air quality; speakers countered that local land-use and incentive decisions can and should pause while more information is gathered.
Next steps: Residents asked the mayor and council to direct staff to draft moratorium language and to commission independent environmental and economic studies before further approvals. The council did not take immediate action to impose a moratorium on June 9.
