Project Green Mountain sound study turns up volume on data center concerns
During a three-hour conditional use hearing, representatives for the proposed Project Green Mountain data center campus in Archbald, Pennsylvania, asserted that the seven-data center project would comply with local noise regulations. However, borough officials and community opponents raised concerns about changing equipment, vibrations, and the narrow margin of error in preliminary sound studies. The Archbald Borough Council did not reach a decision, and testimony will continue at a future hearing.
Representatives for the proposed Project Green Mountain data center campus in Archbald, Pennsylvania, presented their case for conditional use approval during a three-hour hearing on Thursday. Green Mountain 6 LLC, associated with developer Western Hospitality Partners, is proposing to build seven 65-foot-tall data centers with 196 backup diesel generators on a 271-acre site.
Engineer Michael Bahtiarian of Acentech, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based firm, testified on the findings of a preliminary sound study, which projected the project would meet Archbald's noise standards during normal operations. The borough's zoning ordinance restricts data center noise to 5 decibels above background levels at residential property lines, though this limit does not apply during generator testing or power outages. Despite the projections, Bahtiarian faced intense scrutiny from borough council members, including Councilman Larry Marchetti and Councilwoman Lisa Osborne, as well as attorneys representing residents and the borough.
Opposition groups, including Stop Archbald Data Centers co-founder Tamara Misewicz-Healey, an industrial hygienist, raised concerns about low-frequency sounds, potential health impacts, and the valley's topography amplifying noise. The Valley View School District also gained party status, allowing its solicitor to cross-examine witnesses. Attorneys for the opposition highlighted the project's narrow compliance margins and the preliminary nature of the sound study's design information. The council deferred a decision, with testimony scheduled to resume on July 13.