Residents Stopped a Data Center, but a Gas Plant Still Threatens This Black Community
A settlement between Colleton County and the Southern Environmental Law Center will create a Data Center Exclusion Area covering most of the ACE Basin and blocking an proposed 800-acre data center near Walterboro. Residents had sued over the county’s effort to change its zoning code, citing threats to waterways, sensitive ecosystems and the predominantly Black community.
Residents of Colleton County, South Carolina, reached a settlement with the county after challenging efforts to change the zoning code to permit data centers in rural areas. The agreement establishes a Data Center Exclusion Area across most of the ACE Basin, including the site of an over-800-acre project proposed by Eagle Rock Partners near Walterboro.
The lawsuit was supported by the Southern Environmental Law Center and led in part by residents including the Rev. Edward Moultrie and Miles Crosby. While the settlement blocks the proposed data center in much of the ACE Basin, residents and environmental advocates remain concerned about a methane gas plant moving forward in the county that could help power data centers and contribute to air pollution and health risks in a majority-Black community.