Orangetown Planning Board denies DataBank’s request to avoid environmental review
The Orangetown Planning Board has mandated that DataBank undergo a full environmental review (SEQRA) for its proposed Phase 2 data center expansion in Orangeburg, a process the company had sought to circumvent. Residents voiced strong opposition regarding potential impacts on Lake Tappan, increased energy demands, and existing nuisances from data centers. The board's decision means DataBank must complete significant environmental studies before its expansion plans can proceed.
The Orangetown Planning Board voted Wednesday night to require DataBank, a Dallas-based data center company, to complete a State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) before proceeding with its Phase 2 expansion plans in Orangeburg. DataBank, which already operates a 145-megawatt data center (Phase 1) near Lake Tappan, had hoped to avoid this environmental review for its proposed second data center, which was scaled back to half the size of the first due to public pushback.
During a public hearing, numerous Orangetown residents expressed concerns about the potential risks of a data center adjacent to Lake Tappan, which serves as a backup water supply, as well as the noise and other nuisances from existing data centers in Orangeburg, including those owned by Bloomberg and JP Morgan Chase. Residents also raised general concerns about the growing demands of artificial intelligence.
DataBank representatives, led by attorney Lino J. Sciarretta, attempted to counter what they termed "misinformation" by clarifying that the company does not plan to build a new substation and would use a closed-loop system for water, thus avoiding drawing from Lake Tappan. However, Planning Board member Tom Warren noted that a rumored eagle's nest on the site had returned and would require monitoring, adding another environmental consideration for DataBank.