Humboldt County Supervisors to Discuss Data Center and Detention Facility Prohibitions After Amazon Initiative Fails

An initiative led by Indivisible Trinidad, aiming to cap new warehouse and distribution facilities in McKinleyville, California, failed to collect the required 4,864 signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The proposed cap of 20,000 square feet would have blocked Amazon's planned 40,000-square-foot distribution center in the coastal zone, applying to projects not yet granted a coastal development permit. Organizers gathered over 4,300 signatures within 10 days, but could not meet the deadline for verification by the Humboldt County Elections Office.

Despite the initiative's failure, Humboldt County Supervisors will discuss a separate petition to prohibit or establish standards for detention facilities, data centers, and onshore support facilities for offshore oil and deep-sea mining. This discussion stems from public suspicions surrounding the Amazon facility, particularly the fear it could be converted into a federal detention facility, a claim Amazon denies.

The staff report prepared for the supervisors highlights concerns regarding data centers, noting their massive electricity and water demands. These concerns include potential increases in local electricity rates, reliance on carbon-intensive power sources leading to greenhouse gas emissions, and the need for large backup generators. The report also addresses water usage, cautioning against depletion of groundwater supplies and adverse effects on public trust, suggesting parameters for water sourcing and requiring non-carbon fuel sources or battery storage for power. Supervisors are tasked with determining whether to prohibit these uses outright or establish permitting standards.