Residents urge Allegheny County to reject Springdale data center based on noise, pollution
Springdale residents urged Allegheny County to reject the proposed Dynamo data center at the former Cheswick power plant, citing noise, pollution, contaminated soil and potential property-value impacts. The project has Springdale Borough approval but still needs county land-development approval and an air-quality permit, while county reviewers identified numerous unresolved design and remediation issues.
Residents speaking at an Allegheny County hearing opposed the proposed Dynamo data center in Springdale, Pennsylvania, saying its cooling systems and generators could create excessive noise and pollution. Some also argued that the facility’s role in supporting artificial intelligence could threaten jobs and that construction on the former Cheswick coal plant site could worsen existing environmental risks.
The project, proposed by Allegheny DC Propco, also known as Dynamo DC, received permission and zoning variances from Springdale Borough Council in December but still requires county approval of its land-development plan. County reviewers identified missing or inconsistent design information, unresolved questions about protecting neighboring properties and handling contaminated soil, and a lack of evidence that required remediation of arsenic-contaminated areas had been completed. Developers said the site would be capped and subject to groundwater-use restrictions and planned to revise the application before an Oct. 28 hearing. The county economic development office is expected to decide on the plans by Jan. 26, and the project will also need an air-quality permit.