Residents urge moratorium and stricter tests as board readies data‑center rules

Public commenters at the Cochise County Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 25 pressed the board to impose a moratorium or tougher conditions on data‑center projects, saying the county lacks reliable baseline data on water use, noise and potential chemical discharges.

Joan Murphy told the board she opposed data centers "chief among them being their use of water and their harmful noise emissions" and warned of climate and runoff risks. Alice Hammers, who said she lives in McNeil, asked explicitly for "a moratorium on data centers, at least temporary," saying residents do not know who profits, what chemicals closed‑loop cooling systems use, or how and where wastewater would be disposed.

Other commenters echoed concerns about transparency and asked the county to require measurable criteria. Tricia Geradette urged the board to demand baseline reporting — for example, decibel levels at specified distances and public reporting of water use — to "allay people's concerns" about noise and flushing contaminants. Dan Baker and members of local advocacy groups urged baseline environmental testing and precautionary steps to protect residents.

Why it matters: Cochise County staff scheduled a work session on proposed zoning text amendments for data centers after the meeting. Residents said policy language should include enforceable, measurable thresholds so supervisors and planning staff can verify compliance instead of relying on vendor claims.

What the board said: Supervisors acknowledged the public's concern and said the upcoming work session — scheduled to begin at 1:40 p.m. after a short recess — would focus on text amendments to county zoning regulations for data centers. No formal zoning changes were adopted at the Aug. 25 regular meeting; the board will consider policy and regulatory language at the work session and in future hearings.