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Residents urge Dubuque leaders to scrutinize proposed data center development over health and water worries
Summary
Two south-end Dubuque residents raised health, water, farmland and quality-of-life concerns about a proposed large data center during the council’s public input period, asking the city to involve residents and prioritize environmental protections.
During the public input portion of the June 15 meeting, two residents from Laudville Road urged the council to consider the local impacts of proposed large-scale data centers near southern Dubuque County.
Kim Mangers (9421 Laudville Road) told the council she fears water quality and electromagnetic impacts and said she has lost family members to brain cancer: "I'm worried about the water intake. It's gonna affect my wells ... I lost my husband eight years ago to brain cancer and I'm just concerned." She asked the city to take residents’ concerns into account if data center proposals come before the council.
Mary Beth Decker (9111 Laudville Road) read a prepared statement urging the council to prioritize health, farmland preservation, clean air and affordable utilities over unexamined economic incentives. She said data centers could permanently change rural character, increase traffic and strain water and electricity systems, and asked the city to involve affected residents in future decisions.
Mayor Cavanagh and council members listened and acknowledged the concerns; council members noted that public comment can inform future agenda items but that formal regulatory actions would follow subsequent staff reports and any permit applications.
