Amazon replies to Kline residents about data center
Amazon is addressing resident concerns and township questions regarding its proposed data center in Kline Township, Pennsylvania. Residents have raised issues about groundwater, noise, and site preparation, prompting Amazon's engineering firm to submit a detailed response to the planning commission. The project, which includes nine data center buildings, is undergoing review by the township, with ongoing discussions about environmental impacts and utility services.
Amazon is actively engaged in public hearings and addressing resident concerns regarding a proposed data center development in Kline Township, Pennsylvania. Local residents have voiced specific anxieties about potential impacts on groundwater, noise from construction and backup generators, the use of explosives during site preparation, the visual effect of 80-foot rock walls, and the adequacy of landscaped buffer areas.
In response to these concerns, Amazon's engineering firm, Langan, submitted a 28-page letter to the Kline Township Planning Commission. This letter provided technical answers and mitigation plans related to stormwater control, reinforcement of previously mined land, parking, noise from generators, sewer systems, fire protection, and water and electric supplies. The proposed project by Amazon Data Services includes nine data center buildings on approximately 390 acres situated between Interstate 81 and Lofty and Haddock roads.
Langan's response asserted that negative impacts to the regional groundwater system are unlikely, citing plans for drainage and stormwater infiltration. Amazon has obtained several state permits, including for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems and water obstruction, and has applied for water withdrawal from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. The company has also committed to limiting construction hours, conducting monthly 15-minute generator tests, and implementing pre-blast notifications and vibration monitoring during the rock blasting phase.
The Kline Township Municipal Authority has agreed to provide water and sewer services, confirming its capacity to meet Amazon's requested 115,000 gallons per day, which includes water for cooling and domestic waste. PPL Electric Utilities is slated to own a new substation on the property. The planning commission is continuing its review of the extensive project plans.