Residents urge moratorium on data centers; county says no application has been filed

A wave of public commenters asked Shawnee County commissioners on July 9 to impose a moratorium or strict regulations on potential data‑center developments, raising concerns about noise, water use, grid capacity and public‑health risks.

"These centers can raise noise levels to 96 decibels and up to a 105 decibels," said Scott Henson, a Topeka educator, who urged independent studies of noise, water and health impacts and asked for a moratorium while the county assesses grid and water capacity. Henson also cited reports from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute.

Danae Hayes, who said she is a resident of Monterra and a Topeka Public Schools educator, told the commission she had polled neighbors and that many supported a pause so the county and city could jointly set strict rules on setbacks, water use and noise. "Our grid seems already at capacity," she said. "I did a quick poll in the Monterra community ... 68% are paying more than $151 a month" for water, she said, arguing the public needs transparent information about impacts.

Kendra Ainsley urged commissioners to provide clearer channels for community input and charged local officials with a lack of transparency about discussions between utility and private parties. "We want a moratorium so that those things can happen," she said, noting many nearby schools would be within a five‑mile radius of the proposed site.

Megan Ryan, representing Protect Kansas and identifying herself as a public‑health expert, warned of PFAS contamination risks and broad community impacts if water systems were altered for cooling. "This water will be contaminated with PFAS," Ryan said, adding the coalition seeks protections for vulnerable residents.

Daniel Walker argued the county should use the precedent of its 2024 moratorium on solar development to pause and study possible data‑center impacts rather than rely on federal protections alone.

Commissioners and staff responded that, as of the meeting, no application for a data center had been filed with Shawnee County. Acting Chair Kevin Cook said, "We don't have any application that has been made to Shawnee County," and explained that applicants would start with the Land Use & Development Department and that the county could require applicant‑funded expert reviews through the conditional use permit process. Land Use Director Joanie Thadani said planning staff is prepared to review any application case‑by‑case and that some applicants have indicated they would not use water, but the county has not received plans to evaluate.

Commissioner Aaron Mays and others noted the county recently added conditional‑permit authority for industrial zones so it can place conditions on projects; staff said upcoming application deadlines are July 24 and August 28. The commission encouraged continued public engagement at planning‑commission hearings and at any future county hearings if and when applications arrive.