Lackawanna County Commissions Study on Data Center Impacts Amid Public Opposition
Lackawanna County Commissioners unanimously approved a $165,000 contract for a scientific study by EmPower Analytics Group to forecast the environmental, health, and economic impacts of AI hyperscale data center development. This study is intended to provide crucial data to municipal governments and citizen groups to support future legal challenges and public opposition against data center projects. The decision marks a significant shift in official attitudes amid widespread public resistance.
The Lackawanna County Commissioners, including Bill Gaughan, Thom Welby, and Chris Chermak, unanimously approved a contract with EmPower Analytics Group for a $165,000 study. This comprehensive study aims to assess the cumulative health, economic, and environmental impacts of AI hyperscale data center developments and associated natural gas power plants on the county's 215,000 residents and surrounding Northeast Pennsylvania communities.
Co-founded by environmental health scientist Michael Cork, Ph.D., EmPower Analytics Group will provide a data-driven report designed to equip municipal governments and citizen groups with scientific evidence for anticipated legal battles against data center projects. Cork previously authored a report for Stop Archbald Data Centers, which detailed the potential health damages from the proposed Wildcat Ridge Data Center Campus, developed by Brooklyn-based Cornell Realty Management LLC, citing concerns over 588 backup diesel generators. That report estimated annual added health costs between $3 million and $124 million.
The county-wide study was prompted by public pressure following Cork's initial findings, leading Commissioners Welby and Chermak to join Gaughan in commissioning the broader research. This move signifies a notable change in official stance, which Commissioner Gaughan acknowledged was primarily driven by citizen-led opposition. He emphasized that the report, expected by Christmas, will provide the scientific data needed for residents to evaluate developers' claims.
The article also references an American Lung Association report linking data centers to increased localized air pollution and notes the Trump administration's repeal of greenhouse gas emission limits, drawing a parallel to past government assurances regarding hazards like Agent Orange and military burn pits. Commissioner Welby shared a personal story about his nephew's death from cancer after exposure to burn pits, underscoring the importance of independent scientific evaluation over developer assurances.