1,100 turn out at meeting Wednesday against Project Bluestem data center proposal in Tonganoxie, Kansas

More than 1,000 residents packed a Leavenworth County, Kansas, Commission meeting in Tonganoxie to express widespread opposition to Project Bluestem, a proposed 1,000-acre data center development. The meeting, specifically requested by the community and held outside of regular work hours, saw long lines and a large turnout.

Community members raised concerns about air pollution from a proposed gas-operated power plant, noise and light pollution, and the impact on local livestock and generational farmland. Many also criticized a perceived lack of transparency from the governing body, particularly the absence of two commissioners, Mike Smith and Willie Dove, from the pivotal meeting. Young Tonganoxie residents also spoke against the project, highlighting impacts on children's health and 4-H farm projects.

While the Leavenworth County Commission did not take formal action on Project Bluestem at this meeting, the article notes that residents had previously submitted a petition for an 18-month moratorium. In response, the commissioners adopted a shorter, temporary moratorium to gather more information. Cloverleaf Infrastructure, the developer behind the proposal, stated its commitment to community benefits, including job creation, tax revenue, and charitable contributions, and encouraged residents to learn more about the project at bluestemdatacenter.com.

The proposed data center is expected to consume 1.2 gigawatts of energy and include a gas-powered plant, significantly increasing its electricity demands from original plans and exacerbating community concerns about environmental and quality-of-life impacts.