Spartanburg County Leaders and Public Debate Data Center Future
A special Spartanburg City Council meeting in Spartanburg County, SC, focused on a controversial data center project by Valara Holdings. The five-hour session involved expert testimony on potential formaldehyde pollution and water use, alongside heated public debate. No decisions were made regarding the project, indicating ongoing tensions.
A contentious five-hour special meeting of the Spartanburg City Council in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, addressed the future of data center developments in the Upstate region, specifically focusing on a project by Valara Holdings. The session featured intense discussions among council members, experts, and the public, often devolving into arguments without reaching any agreed-upon solutions.
Frank Holleman of the Southern Environmental Law Center presented a map illustrating potential formaldehyde pollution from the project's proposed self-generated power, warning of unacceptable cancer risks at levels above 0.09 micrograms per cubic meter. He urged the council not to permit construction if serious environmental questions remained unanswered.
In response, Sarah Knox, a spokesperson for the Valara Holdings Computing Center and NorthMark Compute and cloud, emphasized the project's efficiency in self-producing 97% of its energy, reducing reliance on the public grid and potential pressure on ratepayers. Knox also stated that the facility would not use groundwater aquifers and would manage wastewater through utility industrial pretreatment processes, asserting the project's commitment to remaining within state and federal pollution compliance. Despite multiple public speakers representing various viewpoints, the meeting concluded without any decisions, and Public Safety Committee Chairman Mo Abusaft had to remove disruptive attendees.