Washington County to hold work session on data‑center pause amid calls for task force
Commissioners agreed to discuss proposed pause or study of new data-center development at a focused work session after debating legal authority, staffing capacity and whether county or cities have jurisdiction. Supporters want a task force to set guardrails on water, energy and environmental impacts; staff warned of limited capacity to resource the effort.
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Chair Harrington opened a prolonged discussion about data centers after a commissioner urged formation of a task force to study impacts and options. The commissioner said she asked the chair "to form a group that Commissioner Fye and I will co lead," aiming to convene community leaders, environmental and industrial experts to produce fact‑based guidance for unincorporated Washington County.
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