Data center next door divides old Massachusetts mill town
A Markley data center next to a residential neighborhood in Lowell, Massachusetts, has disrupted retiree Eileen Castle’s use of her backyard with reported noise, fumes, dust and water mist. The site has become a local flashpoint over the effects of data center development in an established mill-town neighborhood.
A Markley data center operating next to a residential neighborhood in Lowell, Massachusetts, has become a source of conflict among local residents. Retiree Eileen Castle says noise, fumes, dust and water mist from the facility have made her backyard unusable.
Known by some residents as “the Dungeon” because of its imposing black exterior, the facility illustrates broader tensions over data centers being built near homes and the environmental and quality-of-life impacts associated with their operations.