'Breaks my heart': Rep. Ro Khanna visits family taking on Meta in GA
Families near Meta's Stanton Springs Data Center in Mansfield, Georgia, are suing the company over alleged well-water contamination, property-value losses, noise and vibrations. Rep. Ro Khanna visited the affected residents, collected concerns for federal oversight and promoted legislation that would give communities more control over data center development.
Residents Beverly and Jeff Morris and several neighboring families say Meta's Stanton Springs Data Center, located roughly 400 yards from their homes, has been followed by sediment-contaminated well water, failing appliances, noise, vibrations and declining property values. The families filed a lawsuit against Meta in September, alleging the company's construction and operations caused the problems and saying they have received little response after seeking help.
Meta disputes the allegations, citing an independent Geosyntec Consultants review that concluded the facility's construction and operations were unlikely to have caused the groundwater issues. The company also said the data center uses water from the local utility rather than groundwater and highlighted its investments in the surrounding community.
Rep. Ro Khanna visited the Morris family and said the experience reinforced the need for stronger safeguards. He has introduced a Data Center Bill of Rights that would establish buffers between data centers and homes and sensitive facilities, allow communities to reject projects, and impose noise, light, water-use and electricity-related protections. Georgia political candidates are also debating a possible moratorium on new data center development.