Pasco County holds first hearing on 12‑month moratorium on data centers; residents press for water, health and noise studies

Pasco County commissioners heard a presentation and dozens of public comments on a proposed 12‑month moratorium that would pause acceptance of applications for data centers, large‑scale data centers and other large‑load customers in unincorporated Pasco County.

Amanda Hill of the county’s Planning, Development and Economic Growth department told the board the moratorium is intended to “preserve the status quo while allowing the county to consider the implications and impacts of data centers within Pasco County,” including electricity demand, water consumption, wastewater capacity and nuisances such as noise and light. Hill said the ordinance would not apply to server rooms or computer rooms that are incidental to a site’s primary use and that the Local Planning Agency found the proposed ordinance consistent with the comprehensive plan on June 11, 2026.

The county attorney summarized relevant state and federal law, saying Senate Bill 484 provides definitions and preserves local land‑use authority while also addressing foreign‑control concerns. The attorney cautioned that permanent moratoria can invite legal challenges under state and federal takings law and explained the rationale for a 12‑month temporary moratorium as a commonly accepted, defensible period to study and craft regulations.

The rest of the meeting was dominated by public comments. Residents, scientists and local professionals delivered repeated warnings about water use, flooding and public‑health risks. “Hyperscale data center campuses can cover 3 to 5 million square feet of impervious surface,” said Marilyn Hollerin, president of the Pasco County chapter of the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida, adding that Pasco County has large areas in FEMA‑designated special flood hazard areas and that a cumulative flood and stormwater impact study should be required before permits are considered.

Water use and aquifer impacts were central to several speakers. Paxton Gray, a doctoral student in psychology who said his family uses private well water, told commissioners Pasco sits over a critical aquifer and urged an aquifer‑level study before any permit is approved. “A single hyperscale data center uses evaporative cooling and draws between 1 and 5 million gallons per day,” Gray said, framing the water demand as irreversible on human timescales.

Several speakers called for formal public‑health protections: Doris Carroll, a registered nurse, asked the county to require community health baselines, health‑impact assessments, and continuous, publicly available air‑quality and noise monitoring as permit conditions. Critics also raised e‑waste, low‑frequency infrasound and heat exhaust as concerns that should be assessed in advance.

Developers and proponents also spoke. David Miltonberger, representing Stellaris Data Centers, urged the board to preserve a path for smaller, lower‑impact projects and said his proposed 19.9‑megawatt facility would use a fully closed‑loop cooling system and “no water for cooling,” with annual water use comparable to a small business restroom. Several commissioners and members of the public questioned that claim and asked for technical evidence about closed‑loop systems and the chemicals or waste streams they generate.

Commissioners and staff probed the scope of the moratorium. Staff told the board the state statute’s definition of “data center” is broad — “a facility that primarily contains electronic equipment used to process, store, and transmit digital information” — and that the moratorium, as advertised, is intended to capture data centers and large‑load customers of all sizes aside from the expressly exempt incidental server rooms. Planning commission members had recommended adding a megawatt cap to close a potential “incidental use” loophole; staff said that level of detail can be developed during the moratorium’s research period.

Board members directed staff to include two explicit considerations if the board later approves a project by development agreement under a public‑necessity exception: e‑waste handling and public health and safety measures. Commissioners also said staff should return with refined definitions and any proposed caps or thresholds before the adoption hearing.

No adoption vote was taken; staff and the board said a second, adoption hearing will be scheduled for July 14, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. for final action after staff research and possible ordinance edits.

What’s next: staff will assemble technical studies, solicit expert consultants, and prepare updated ordinance text (including the requested additions on health and e‑waste) for the board’s July 14 adoption hearing. Residents who offered testimony emphasized they expect cumulative water, flood, noise and health studies, and that they will return to comment on the revised ordinance.

Representative quotes

“A temporary pause to preserve the status quo while allowing the county to consider the implications and impacts of data centers within Pasco County.” — Amanda Hill, Planning, Development & Economic Growth.

“Hyperscale data center campuses can cover 3 to 5 million square feet of impervious surface…A cumulative flood and storm water impact study should be required.” — Marilyn Hollerin, president, Pasco County chapter, Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida.

“A single hyperscale data center uses evaporative cooling and draws between 1 and 5 million gallons per day.” — Paxton Gray, doctoral student (commenting on aquifer risk). (Claim presented by speaker; county staff did not independently verify.)

“Our facility could use a fully closed‑loop cooling system that uses zero water for cooling…we support the moratorium on large facilities but ask the county to preserve a path for small, low‑impact facilities.” — David Miltonberger, Stellaris Data Centers.

Ending note: The board heard comprehensive public testimony and gave staff direction to expand the moratorium record to include water, health and e‑waste considerations; the board expects updated ordinance language and studies at the July 14 adoption hearing.