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Resident raises water, noise and job concerns about data centers during public comment
Summary
Reverend Sharon Boyce urged commissioners to use the county's moratorium period to study potential harms from data systems (data centers), citing high water use for cooling, noise, possible pollutants from recycled cooling water, and limited local job creation.
Reverend Sharon Boyce used the public-comment period to urge careful study of so-called "data systems"—facilities commonly known as data centers—during Northampton County’s moratorium on such development. She said research shows significant water use for cooling, noise and potential pollution related to recycled cooling water, and cautioned the county not to overstate job benefits from facilities that rely on automated systems.
"Data systems use a lot of water... They are very, I think I put a picture out... Lots of cooling needed. It's a 24/7 operation, and it takes a lot of water to cool them," Reverend Boyce said, adding that the county's moratorium (which she described as among the longest in the region) should be used to gather research and inform residents. She also warned that many jobs associated with these facilities are temporary or limited because operations are heavily automated.
Her remarks asked commissioners to consider environmental and community impacts—including potential effects on water availability and property values—and to keep questions and research before the board while the moratorium remains in place. The board did not take immediate action in response during the meeting but heard her concerns as part of the public-comment record.
