Residents press commission over proposed MIDA/Stratos data center; speakers cite water, health and surveillance concerns

Public comment at the May 13 meeting focused overwhelmingly on the proposed MIDA/Stratos data center. Commissioners prefaced the comment period by summarizing recent meetings, saying they had repeatedly tabled the item to get more information, consulted the county attorney and outside counsel, and posted answers to public questions on the county website.

Multiple residents spoke in opposition. DeAnna Hardy of Brigham City, identifying herself with the Box Elder Committee of Liberty, said the group was "disappointed in the decision to support the AI data center" and accused officials of betraying constitutional oaths. "It is the mark of a tyrant who subdues freedom of speech," she said, and alleged the governor was "fast tracking" the project. Tenille Taggart urged commissioners to reconsider because the state faces severe drought and the data center would take local water. Walter Masterson accused investors of pushing the project and made multiple technical claims about its size and emissions, saying the center would be "64 square miles" and would "burn methane...to produce 9 gigawatts of electricity every year." Warren McGregor warned of heat and public-health impacts, characterizing it as "23 Hiroshima bombs worth of heat daily." Several speakers objected to the commission's meeting logistics and to how public comment opportunities were handled at earlier sessions.

Chairman Tyler Vincent addressed the audience to deny an allegation that commissioners had been "bought off," called the rumor "untrue," and repeated that the commission had sought guardrails to protect county interests. Commissioners said the county had received thousands of public comments (they reported 2,500–3,500 total) and that staff had posted answers to many questions online. The commission did not take formal action on the Stratos project at the meeting; comments served as input to ongoing review.