Chesterfield County residents raise pollution and water concerns over data center growth
Virginia residents and high school students raised concerns at a public forum about pollution, water use, electricity demand and oversight tied to data center development in Chesterfield County. The meeting also focused on environmental violations at Google's Project Peanut site, while Google said it would largely stop seeking nondisclosure agreements.
Residents, including local high school students, confronted representatives from Google, Dominion Energy and Chirisa at a public forum at Brightpoint Community College about Chesterfield County's expanding data center industry. Up to nine projects are planned, under construction or already operating, prompting concerns about air pollution, water consumption, electricity demand and regulatory oversight.
The forum also examined reported environmental violations at Google's Project Peanut construction site and the company's use of nondisclosure agreements. Google said it would stop seeking NDAs except in very limited circumstances, but residents continued to press for greater transparency and accountability.