Resident urges tighter rules on proposed data center ordinance, citing water, noise and health risks

A local resident pressed Robeson Township supervisors on Tuesday to tighten a draft ordinance for data center development, warning that the proposal as written lacks enforcement teeth and could harm private wells, public health and rural quality of life.

Claudia, who identified herself during the citizens’ comment period, told the board she was "concerned regarding that proposal that it seems to kinda lack teeth" and asked whether anyone on the board had signed nondisclosure agreements with prospective applicants; supervisors and staff replied no. She urged the township to specify fines and enforcement steps in the ordinance and to require independent testing of noise and water impacts.

"I'm a physician," Claudia told the board. "There's a higher incidence of heart disease and respiratory problems in the areas surrounding these data centers. It causes asthma, exacerbates people's asthma. There's loss of sleep. It affects the circadian rhythms... the constant noise, the constant light — it's like having a small city." (Speaker 9)

Planners and legal counsel said the packet on the table is intended as a review draft. "What you have tonight is not — we're asking to take action on it," a planning representative said, adding that the planning commission and the Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) have reviewed the draft and forwarded it for supervisor consideration. The planner emphasized two items the commission requested be revisited: dimensional siting criteria to ensure the ordinance isn’t exclusionary and the noise testing regime. (Speakers 11, 4)

On enforcement, the solicitor explained that fines and penalties often live in different sections of local code and enforcement mechanisms can be addressed through existing avenues rather than embedded directly in a zoning text. "Fines aren't found as a zoning ordinance," the solicitor told the meeting, while noting mechanisms exist elsewhere in township regulations. (Speaker 11)

EAC chair Kate Kennedy told supervisors an updated ordinance version dated 05/07/2026 is posted on the township website and that the draft noise levels in the proposal are more restrictive than current zoning; she also noted a small portion of township land falls inside the Susquehanna River Basin Commission area and should be acknowledged in the ordinance language. (Speaker 12)

Residents asked that noise and vibration tests be performed by independent firms approved by the township, and that monitoring protocols specify equipment and sampling times (including low‑frequency sound monitors that pick up infrasound). A planner said the intent is to require a qualified professional to estimate anticipated noise and then to verify post‑construction compliance, with independent monitoring available to confirm adherence. (Speakers 4, 9)

The board did not vote on the ordinance at the workshop. Supervisors said the draft will return to the agenda at the regular meeting later in the week for further review and directed staff to incorporate public and commission feedback before any action is taken.