Pittsburg Data Center to Return to City Council Agenda
The Pittsburg City Council will hold a workshop on a proposed data center development after facing significant public opposition and a lawsuit. Residents voiced concerns over transparency, environmental impacts, and water usage, leading to a petition with over 14,000 signatures. The Center for Biological Diversity has sued the city for approving the 300,000 square-foot data center project without adequate environmental review.
The City of Pittsburg, California, is set to hold a public workshop concerning a proposed 300,000-square-foot data center, following strong community backlash and a recent lawsuit. The workshop comes after a November 2024 unanimous City Council approval of the project, which is planned for the former Delta View Golf Course site. The council's decision to revisit the matter with additional public engagement follows a city council meeting where over 200 people attended and more than 100 public comments were made, predominantly against the data center development.
Residents expressed significant concerns regarding transparency, environmental impacts, traffic, and noise. A Change.org petition against the project has garnered over 14,000 signatures, highlighting the depth of public opposition. The Center for Biological Diversity subsequently filed a lawsuit against the City of Pittsburg in Contra Costa County Superior Court, alleging violations of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Meredith Stevenson, a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, emphasized the substantial environmental risks posed by data centers, including significant greenhouse gas emissions and high water consumption. The lawsuit specifically challenges the city's approval without proper consideration for the project's effects on air quality, water supply, and critical wildlife habitats on the site, which includes grassland and wetlands important for various raptors.
The city has committed to transparency and will announce the meeting date with 10 days' notice across various platforms to ensure maximum public participation.