Putnam United pushes for community input, transparency for proposed data center

After Google purchased 1,700 acres north of Buffalo to build a data center, Putnam County residents have voiced opposition to the proposal. On Tuesday, commissioners were presented with a resolution from Putnam United, a group that claims area residents should be able to decide if they want a data center in their community and the decision should be based on more than money. “We are very interested in working with our local government,” Putnam United’s Heather Ranson said. “We are presenting this because we hope they will sign it, we can find some common ground and be able to move forward in a way that the community has a voice at the table.” Ransom said Putnam United’s problem with the project is the lack of community input and transparency in addition to environmental impacts and water concerns. “We all know what happened in 2014 with the MCMH spill,” Ransom said. “It’s based on actual experiences. It’s not just speculation. Industry comes in and we suffer the consequences.” Putnam County Commissioner Andy Skidmore said recent legislation has limited the power of local officials. “House Bill 2014 strips all local control regarding zoning or ordinances of or anything like that,” Skidmore said. The measure incentives data centers to West Virginia by allowing microgrids to power the effort. Since the Putnam County proposal is a state project, Skidmore said commissioners may only listen to concerns as the permitting process continues. “They are going through the process of county planning as if House Bill 2014 did not exist, doing what would be required of them,” he said. “They brought land off of a private landowner in an unzoned area.” Ransom said Putnam United’s resolution marks the first step of the group and concerns will be taken to the state level. County officials said construction is about a year away. FULL STORY: https://wchstv.com/news/local/putnam-united-pushes-for-community-input-transparency-for-proposed-data-center _________________________________________ Follow WCHS on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eyewitnessnewscharleston/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wchs8fox11​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wchs8fox11/ For the latest local and national news, visit our website: https://wchstv.com/ Sign up for our newsletter: https://wchstv.com/sign-up