Tooele County residents push back on proposed data center rules
Tooele County residents and the TooeleCARES group are opposing proposed Chapter 34 data center rules, citing concerns about water use, electricity demand, emissions, infrastructure and emergency response. They are urging the planning commission to reject or table the rules and are supporting a temporary statewide pause on data center development in Utah.
TooeleCARES member Amy Lawson said residents believe a data center application could be filed in Tooele County if Chapter 34 is approved, despite the county’s position that no official application has been submitted. More than 800 people have signed a letter asking officials to assess environmental and public-health risks, determine whether the county can support the facility, and adopt enforceable safeguards before deciding whether or where data centers should be allowed.
Lawson urged the Tooele County Planning Commission to reject or table Chapter 34 and related infrastructure-district provisions. She also described the group’s participation in the Utah versus Tech Billionaires coalition, which is seeking a temporary statewide moratorium while governments study data centers’ water, energy, emissions, infrastructure and emergency-response impacts. The interview focused on resident opposition and did not identify a named developer or operator for the potential facility.