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Residents cite asthma, noise and water worries as data‑center debate intensifies
Summary
Public commenters and a local nurse cited peer‑reviewed research and case studies from other states to argue that data centers can increase air pollution, create persistent low‑frequency noise and stress local water supplies, urging health and hydrology review.
Health and environmental concerns were a persistent theme of public testimony during the Leavenworth County Commission meeting.
"Early life exposure to air pollution exposures are associated with the onset of childhood asthma," Cecilia Pruwit told commissioners, citing a cohort study she described from the Journal of the American Medical Association. Several speakers also described long‑term noise impacts and cited case studies from other jurisdictions where communities near large data‑center campuses reported persistent background noise during testing and operation.
Dee Carlson described estimates from other projects she said included tens of millions of gallons per day for turbine cooling and millions of metric tons of carbon emissions annually from backup generation. Commenters requested that the county commission include medical experts, acoustic engineers and hydrologists in any impact review and consider buffer zones around schools and day cares.
Commissioners did not dispute that expert input would be useful; staff and board members said they would share studies and consider which independent experts to engage as the regulatory work proceeds.
