Data Center Plans Spark Environmental Concerns in Leon County

Residents of Leon County, Texas, are voicing strong opposition as local elected leaders prepare to make crucial decisions regarding three proposed data center projects. These facilities are slated for locations near Oakwood, Jewett, and Marquez, with the Marquez site notably planned as a 1,500 MW center. Neighbors have raised a multitude of concerns, emphasizing the potential environmental impact, specifically runoff into the Navasota River, which they fear could contaminate local water and extend to the Gulf of Mexico. Public safety is another major issue, with worries about lithium-ion battery facilities catching fire and the inadequate preparedness of local volunteer firefighters, necessitating a HAZMAT team that is over an hour away. Furthermore, residents in Marquez highlight the threat to local ecology and natural wildlife, citing the presence of 11 endangered species, migratory birds, and the bee population in the area designated for the "Coller project." Agricultural concerns also prevail, as locals worry about noise pollution from the data centers affecting chicken and cattle production, which are vital to the area's economy. The community views this as a broader fight encompassing not only data centers but also associated solar farms and battery storage facilities.