Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has launched a crowd-sourced registry for residents to report concerns about data centers in their communities. The website has already received over 8,200 reports, with water supply being a primary worry.
This initiative highlights growing community concerns about the environmental and social impacts of data center expansion, potentially leading to increased scrutiny and regulatory pressure on the industry and local governments.
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has launched a crowd-sourced registry to gather reports from residents concerned about the impact of data centers in their communities. The website, brockovichdatacenter.com, was created to allow people experiencing issues to self-report, with Brockovich emphasizing that these residents are the best source of information.
Brockovich stated that within 72 hours of the registry's April 27 launch, the website experienced two crashes due to the volume of submissions. She noted that many residents reported not being informed about data center projects by their city councils, often discovering construction already underway. This secrecy is sometimes attributed to non-disclosure agreements signed at the proposal stage.
Currently, the registry shows over 8,200 reports, with 41% of respondents expressing worry about the potential impact on their water supply. Other significant concerns include electricity supply, potential harm to residents' health, and effects on nearby wildlife. Business Insider data indicates that over 1,400 data centers are expected to be built or approved across the U.S. by the end of 2025, with Virginia, West Texas, and Wisconsin identified as key locations.
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