Ruiz formally opposes proposed Imperial data center project
U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz has formally opposed a proposed data center project in Imperial Valley, California, citing concerns about air quality, water usage, energy costs, noise pollution, and public health. He submitted a letter to the Imperial County Board of Supervisors and plans to seek federal oversight from the EPA and Department of Energy.
U.S. Representative Raul Ruiz (D-Palm Desert) has formally expressed his strong opposition to a proposed data center project in California's Imperial Valley. His statement, delivered by District Representative Sara Solorzano to the Imperial County Board of Supervisors on June 2, urged local officials to prevent the development.
Ruiz cited concerns supported by research from Harvard University and the University of California, Riverside, regarding the data centers' potential negative impacts on life expectancy, air quality, asthma rates, energy costs, water consumption, and noise pollution. He emphasized the community's clear stance against the project and called for the protection of residents' health, water resources, and future.
The Congressman's office reported receiving concerns from hundreds of constituents in both the Imperial and Coachella valleys. Ruiz plans to escalate the issue by sending letters to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, seeking federal oversight and environmental reviews for data center projects in water-stressed environmental justice communities, specifically naming the Imperial and Coachella valleys.