Resident warns of heat, noise and health risks from proposed AI data centers

During Citizens' Time at the July 14 Wythe County Board meeting, resident Sherri Burris urged the Board and the public to scrutinize the local effects of proposed AI data centers.

Burris said such facilities produce what scientists call a "data heat island effect," asserting the thermal exhaust from high-powered processors can locally raise temperatures, increase household cooling costs, and alter microclimates. She also described a recurring low-frequency hum from large cooling systems that she said can travel through structures and cause insomnia and stress for nearby residents.

Burris raised air-quality concerns, saying backup gas turbines and diesel generators used during peak grid strain can emit fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides; she cited broad national modeling that projects increased asthma cases and premature deaths by 2030 tied to similar facilities (her comment referenced an estimate of "over 600,000 more cases of asthma and 1,300 premature deaths annually" at a national scale). She also said transient construction workforces can strain local lodging and short-term housing, producing little long-term employment for local residents.

No formal action on data centers was taken at the meeting. Supervisor Stacy A. Terry later asked residents to bring factual information on data centers for the Board's consideration and said Board members will weigh community impacts when evaluating proposals.

These remarks were made as public comment; the Board did not vote on any data-center-related matter at the July 14 meeting.