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Residents press county on water, noise and PFAS risks from potential data centers
Summary
Commenters at the June 25 hearing cited large water withdrawals, low-frequency noise, PFAS concerns from cooling processes and weak decommissioning provisions in the draft ordinance, and proposed specific fixes including mandatory bonds and closer monitoring.
Multiple speakers raised technical and environmental concerns they said should be addressed in the draft ordinance before any permit would be considered. Crystal Jennings cited water use ranges and potential ecological impacts, while Julie Loggins and others warned about PFAS in cooling systems and diesel-generator emissions during outages.
Rose Likens, who submitted written comments that staff read into the record, proposed stronger decommissioning safeguards: "The amount of the bond should be a 125% of the cost estimated of the decommissioning prepared by an independent evaluator," she wrote, urging that the applicant bear the cost of that evaluation. Residents also flagged airport-distance standards, post-construction noise monitoring frequency, and whether local sewer and water systems could handle large withdrawals.
