Data Center protesters gather outside Board of Supervisors meeting
Dozens of residents protested a proposed Google data center at a Botetourt County Board of Supervisors meeting, despite the project not being on the agenda. Protesters raised concerns about water usage and the potential impact on local water supplies and private wells, while also questioning the financial benefits of tax subsidies.
Dozens of Botetourt County residents gathered outside a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday evening to protest a proposed Google data center, even though the project was not on the meeting's official agenda. The primary concern among protestors was the significant water resources required to operate such a facility, with one resident, Anna Lawson, expressing worry about the impact on nearby water supplies, including Carvins Cove, Tinker Creek, and private wells drawing from the same aquifer.
Another resident, Michael Burtoon, raised doubts about the financial benefits of providing tax subsidies to data centers, citing a national cost of $1.6 billion per year by 2025 for municipalities. Protesters also noted that Google has already provided millions to the county for projects like a new 9-1-1 center, suggesting this could create pressure for county leaders to approve the data center. Attendees indicated plans to organize further meetings to strategize additional opposition efforts.