Data center opposition group sues Festus and proposed developer

The data center opposition group Wake Up JeffCo and four property owners have filed a lawsuit in St. Louis County, Missouri, against the City of Festus and developer CRG. The legal action aims to overturn two city decisions: the rezoning of an area designated for a potential AI data center project and the city's contract establishing requirements for the developer. The lawsuit follows the ousting of all four incumbent city council candidates in Festus, according to recent unofficial election results. Plaintiff Mary Fakes, whose home is near the proposed development, expressed concerns about the project's potential health hazards and significant water consumption. Hyperscale data centers, like the one proposed, are projected to consume tens of billions of liters of water annually by 2028, with AI data centers potentially costing billions in public water infrastructure nationwide. The plaintiffs allege that city officials knowingly withheld information about the development and conducted unlawful private meetings to evade the Missouri Sunshine Law, which mandates government transparency. Steve Jeffery, the attorney representing the Festus residents, stated his belief that city officials intentionally met in small groups to bypass public record requirements. Correspondence posted on the City of Festus's website indicated efforts by officials to keep conversations about the project private, with some names redacted. Lori Merriman, founder of Wake Up JeffCo, views the lawsuit as a validation of months of community resistance against the city's lack of transparency and unwillingness to heed residents' concerns. The lawsuit comes after a heated public meeting where the city council approved a framework of requirements for CRG's proposed $6 billion data center project despite strong resident opposition.