McCormick County residents to discuss proposed data center
Residents in McCormick County, South Carolina, are preparing to oppose a proposed data center project, raising concerns about noise, water usage, and strain on local resources. A community meeting is scheduled for Monday, ahead of a county commissioners' meeting on Tuesday, to discuss the project for which Amentum is negotiating a lease with the Department of Energy.
Residents of McCormick County, South Carolina, are mobilizing to express their opposition to a proposed data center project. A community meeting is set for Monday at the McCormick Country Club, where citizens are expected to voice concerns over potential impacts such as noise pollution, significant water consumption, and increased strain on local infrastructure and resources. This meeting precedes a scheduled session of the McCormick County Commissioners on Tuesday.
The proposed data center is part of a plan by the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, which has selected the engineering firm Amentum to negotiate a lease for the facility. While the data center project is not explicitly listed on the commissioners' official agenda, residents anticipate it will be a key topic of discussion. The local debate in McCormick County is taking place amidst broader regional discussions about data center development, including an upcoming decision by Augusta, Georgia, leaders on a data center zoning policy and a federal proposal for a large data center at the Savannah River Site.