Commissioners direct staff to draft moratorium on data‑center approvals amid water and impact concerns
After an extended discussion about potential water use, noise, and environmental effects of proposed data centers, the Lander County commission asked staff to prepare a draft moratorium so the county can define minimum environmental and closed‑loop water standards before approving projects.
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Commissioners devoted sustained discussion to proposed data‑center development and the county’s ability to regulate those projects. Multiple commissioners expressed deep concern about water consumption, potential effects on groundwater, noise, light and the unknown nature of some data‑center operations. One commissioner summarized the community’s information gap: “We don't know enough about what they are, the harm they're gonna cause… We don't know what these data centers are, they're just call it's just a blanket term.”
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