Riverkeeper: Communities should require special use permits, limits for data centers

Damon Mullis, executive director of Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK), presented to the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners last week, urging stricter regulations for data center development. ORK, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the Ogeechee River watershed, recommended that local governments require special use permits for data centers in any allowed zoning classification, ensuring public transparency, input, and a commission vote on proposals. Mullis also advised against non-disclosure agreements and called for comprehensive impact studies on water use, land disturbance, sedimentation, and deforestation. Bulloch County currently has a 90-day moratorium on data center land use plans in its unincorporated areas, enacted by a 6-0 vote on February 17, which is set to expire in the third week of May. A hearing is slated for May 5 to discuss a potential extension. Statesboro city officials, however, have not enacted a similar moratorium following their own exploratory trip to data centers in the Atlanta metro and Middle Georgia areas. ORK's specific environmental recommendations include prohibiting evaporative cooling systems, which use large amounts of water, and defining waste water permitting and storm water management. Mullis cautioned local governments not to solely rely on the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) for citizen protection, citing past environmental incidents. He also advocated against offering tax breaks to data centers, arguing that their high energy and water consumption, noise, light, and water pollution often outweigh the minimal job creation (20-50 jobs per large center) and potential tax revenues if incentives are offered. While Georgia Power Company's former regional community and economic development manager, Mickey Daniell, had previously offered a more positive outlook on data centers to the commissioners, Chairman David Bennett noted that the moratorium was intended to provide time for commissioners and the public to gain knowledge and proactively draft necessary zoning. Other counties in Georgia, such as Greene and Hancock, have also passed data center moratoriums.