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Residents urge moratorium on hyperscale data centers over PFAS and water‑quality worries; council hears energy and technology questions
Summary
Multiple residents urged the council to halt hyperscale data center approvals until PFAS‑free cooling solutions are proven at hyperscale, citing construction‑phase contamination risks and long timeframes for project build‑out; the council took comments and referred the matter to staff for future agenda consideration.
Public comment on July 14 included extended remarks urging caution about proposed hyperscale data centers in Columbus. Carolyn Weinbaum said she lives three blocks from the Chattahoochee River and asked the council to place a moratorium on Project Ruby and similar facilities until closed‑loop PFAS‑free cooling technology is proven at commercial hyperscale.
Weinbaum warned that contamination risks arise during construction and cited cases in other jurisdictions where water systems were affected during build‑out. She said developers claimed a 330,000‑gallon‑a‑day water use was a small fraction of supply but argued the concern is not only volume but water quality. “We are being asked to approve billion‑dollar facilities on a promise of future technology,” Weinbaum said, and urged the council to direct staff to draft a moratorium until technology is proven.
Another resident, Mike Nash, focused on the data centers’ energy and heat impacts and urged the council to consider next‑generation chip and cooling technologies when reviewing any future project architecture.
City staff did not act on a moratorium at the meeting but heard the testimony. Councilors and staff indicated they would refer the request to staff for consideration and possible future agenda action.
What’s next: Residents requested formal moratorium consideration at a future council meeting and asked staff to prepare background material on PFAS, closed‑loop cooling technologies, water‑quality risks and potential regulatory limits.
