Data Center Appetites

As we face the invasion of data centers across Carbon County, we must take the opportunity to learn from other communities facing the same threat to their water supply. Recently, the Susquehanna River Basin Committee received a proposal from the Amazon Data Center that would increase water withdrawals from the Susquehanna River from 60,000 gallons per day to 277,000 gallons per day! Data center proposals often greatly underestimate actual water demand to appear more sustainable to local governments, even though they need many times that amount for ongoing operations. We must stay strong in Carbon County and protect our water and the communities that depend upon fresh, clean water for drinking. Our local governments can say "no" - although many are unwilling when faced with the threat of a lawsuit. The question is whether the data center developers have the appetite to engage in a lengthy lawsuit or whether they will move on to the next rural community, hoping the residents are too overwhelmed and too tired to fight. If you haven't already, please

• Contact your PA State Representative, Doyle Heffley, and your PA State Senator, Dave Argall, and ask them directly: “What are you doing to ensure the Municipal Planning Code allows municipalities to make zoning decisions based on their community needs and defend those decisions in court?”

• Contact Governor Josh Shapiro's office and ask him the same question, along with "What are you doing to safeguard watersheds, wells, and the water supply?"

• Join us at Penn's Peak on January 29th at 6 PM for the Penn Forest Zoning Hearing Board meeting regarding the proposed data center at 903 and Maury Road.

• Stay updated on the statewide drought status and share the information with your local governments.

Your access to fresh, clean water depends on it!