Proposed Data Center Sparks Community Uproar in Eastern Kentucky
Residents of Boyd County, Kentucky, are protesting a proposed data center by TeraWulf at the East Park Industrial Park. Concerns focus on the project's potential environmental impact, especially water usage, and a perceived lack of transparency from local officials and the company. The community feels they were not adequately consulted before the development was announced.
A contentious community meeting was held in Boyd County, Kentucky, to discuss a newly announced data center project in the East Park Industrial Park. Residents, who were only recently notified of the development, voiced significant concerns over potential environmental impacts, particularly water consumption, and a perceived lack of transparency from both local officials and the developer. Local resident David Sparrow expressed feelings of a "lack of trust" and worry for families and the environment.
Boyd County Judge-Executive Eric Chaney confirmed that TeraWulf, the company behind the project, would implement a closed-loop water system, drawing water only once every ten years. He also noted that non-disclosure agreements prevented early public disclosure of information until the company formally announced the project. Chaney added that the data center is slated for completion in phases by 2028 and 2030, and is being built on a site that has been a vacant industrial park for 28 years.
Despite these assurances, community members remained unconvinced, feeling they had been "kept in the dark" throughout the process. They demanded greater transparency and protections, emphasizing that their concerns extended beyond the possibility of a data center to the rapid expansion of the industry and its still not fully understood long-term impacts. TeraWulf reportedly plans to host its own town hall forums to address these community concerns.