Residents press Leavenworth County to extend data‑center moratorium amid health, noise and water concerns

A stream of residents on Wednesday urged the Leavenworth County Board of County Commissioners to extend the county’s moratorium on hyperscale data‑center development while officials study noise, water and health impacts.

Tyler Carpenter, who said he manages a wildlife preserve on Fairmount Road, told the board that ‘‘low total noise can bounce for up to 25 miles’’ and that the constant low‑frequency sound would create a ‘‘dead zone’’ for sensitive species and worsen conditions at nearby nursing homes. Carpenter asked commissioners to ‘‘be on the right side of history’’ and urged an extended moratorium.

Another resident, speaking for a group called Citizens Against Bluestem, said the community lacks transparency and information about a proposed project tied to developer Cloverleaf, and asked the commission to extend the moratorium at least six months, hold at least one evening meeting for working residents and require independent studies on groundwater availability, long‑term water sustainability, air quality for backup diesel generators, noise (including low‑frequency measurements at homes, schools and churches), traffic during construction and operation, and fiscal impacts on county taxpayers.

Jim Colbert and other public commenters cited out‑of‑state examples — projects in Memphis, Michigan and Wisconsin referenced in their remarks — to illustrate problems such as permitting lapses, generator emissions, noise complaints and suits by environmental groups.

Chair (speaker 1) told the speakers the board would place a discussion of a data‑center moratorium extension on a future agenda limited to data centers (excluding battery energy storage systems or cryptocurrency facilities). The board did not adopt a moratorium at the meeting; rather, the chair moved to add that item to the agenda for a future discussion and the commission agreed to do so.

Why it matters: Residents and some commissioners said the scale of proposed hyperscale facilities warrants independent technical review before permitting decisions, citing potential long‑term effects on wells, traffic, public safety response capacity and local property values.

What happens next: The commission placed a moratorium‑extension discussion on a future agenda. The county did not vote at this meeting to extend the moratorium; any change would require a formal agenda item and a subsequent vote.