Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Data Centers topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press council for moratorium, raise water and transparency concerns for data centers and power plant
Summary
Nine public commenters urged the council to slow approvals for large energy and data‑center projects, citing water use, environmental and security risks and calls for a county moratorium and state regulation.
Residents and local advocates used the Aug. 11 public‑comment period to press the Kershaw County Council for clearer rules on large energy projects and data centers, asking for moratoriums and independent study before sites are approved.
Julie Strickland opened the public‑comment block with remarks about battlefield burials and DNA identification efforts at the Battle of Camden, asking for continued attention to veterans’ graves. Project‑transparency advocate Andrew Whitaker asked the council to clarify whether the nearby 900‑acre gas power plant would strictly serve power needs or could be tied to unspecified future uses, including a possible AI data center, and whether nondisclosure agreements had been requested of council members.
Several speakers pressed specifically for a moratorium on data centers. William Holland warned of environmental and public‑health risks tied to water reuse and cited out‑of‑state examples: "In conclusion, there are too many variables and too much at stake to allow data centers to be hastily approved and built in this county without any regulation," he said. Lynn Canto asked for a two‑year moratorium to allow the county and state to set regulations and called for an independent stakeholder committee. Jim Corley and others questioned the broader social and infrastructure consequences of rapid data‑center growth, including power and rate effects seen elsewhere.
Amy McCaskill highlighted a zoning‑variance notice tied to Project Ballast and concerns about proposed exhaust‑stack heights and transparency at planning meetings. Tom Webb urged council members to consider the cumulative changes brought by large projects and said residents in Bethune felt their community had been altered by recent actions.
Council members acknowledged concerns and committed to further clarification and a staff timetable for regulatory work; the public comment period closed with the chair thanking speakers.
