Goshute Indian tribe voices opposition to U.S. Army data center proposal in Tooele County
The Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians opposes a proposed U.S. Army data center at Dugway Proving Ground in Tooele County, Utah. The tribe is concerned the hyper-scale facility, to be developed by CyrusOne, will deplete and contaminate their groundwater supplies and discharge significant wastewater. They have sent a letter of opposition to Governor Spencer Cox and called on Tooele County officials to reject any related zoning requests.
The Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians has voiced strong opposition to a proposed U.S. Army data center slated for construction within the Dugway Proving Ground in Tooele County, Utah. The tribe, headquartered in Grantsville, fears the hyper-scale facility will severely impact their sole source of groundwater, potentially depleting and contaminating the vital resource, which they claim is already over-allocated.
Developed by Dallas-based CyrusOne and expected to be operational by 2029, the data center is projected to consume 500 megawatts of electricity and discharge up to 250,000 gallons per day of salt-heavy wastewater into local wetlands. The U.S. Army initially announced the project in March, citing its role in supporting defense needs, high-performance computing, and future technologies like AI. They stated an environmental review would occur and systems would be designed to minimize strain on public utilities.
However, the Skull Valley Band, with 134 enrolled members, argues that the region's water availability cannot sustain the data center's demands. They sent a letter to Governor Spencer Cox outlining their concerns but reported no response. Tribal leaders are now urging Tooele County officials to oppose any zoning or land-use requests related to the project and to impose strict operational requirements if it proceeds.