Residents split over data centers as council considers overlay district and moratorium

Colleton County residents used the public-comment period to press opposing views about proposed data centers and the county’s regulatory approach. Frank Santarello, introduced by the chair, challenged several claims about data centers and raised technical concerns and counterclaims about water and chemical hazards, saying, "There is a tooth fairy. There is a sand cost in East Of London" and disputing assertions that data centers would poison local wells. Lee Petrolovich and Andrew Fuller, both residents, argued data centers could bring higher-paying jobs and regional investment, with Petrolovich noting the county’s transportation assets and past private investment and Fuller citing his drilling experience to argue aquifer impacts would be limited.