Catawba County data center neighbors say they feel left out of the conversation
Residents near a Microsoft data center construction site in Conover, Catawba County, NC, are expressing significant concerns about the project's environmental impact. Neighbors report issues with dust and air pollution exacerbating asthma, alongside worries about future traffic, noise, and changes to their rural neighborhood's character. They feel excluded from the ongoing conversations about the data center's development.
Hannah Mullis, a resident of a Conover neighborhood in Catawba County, North Carolina, has voiced significant concerns regarding a Microsoft data center under construction that now surrounds her family's home on three sides. Mullis described the development as a jarring change, noting the extensive deforestation of the rural area and the attempt to transform it into something she believes it is not.
Her immediate worries center on environmental impacts, particularly heavy dust from the construction accumulating around their home, requiring frequent pressure washing. This dust, she stated, contributes to air pollution that poses a major problem for her family members suffering from asthma, leading her to believe it's "killing this neighborhood."
Looking beyond construction, Mullis anticipates continued issues such as increased traffic, noise pollution, and bright lights at night, which she fears will fundamentally alter the neighborhood's character. She emphasized the importance of acknowledging that data center impacts are highly concentrated in immediate surrounding areas, highlighting the feeling among neighbors of being excluded from crucial discussions about the project's development.