Okmulgee residents direct anger at City Council over data center project
Residents in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, expressed significant anger and disappointment towards the City Council regarding a proposed Fluid Stack AI data center. Concerns center on water usage, potential environmental impact on endangered species, and a lack of transparency and communication from city officials, leading to calls for resignations.
Okmulgee, Oklahoma residents voiced strong opposition and frustration at a recent City Council meeting regarding a proposed AI data center by Fluid Stack. The project, located west of the city, has stirred controversy over several issues, including the data center's reliance on Okmulgee's water supply and potential environmental impacts.
Concerns were specifically raised about the data center's proximity to the Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge and its potential threat to federally protected species like the American burying beetle and the alligator snapping turtle. A spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated that habitat availability for the beetle is not a limiting factor in the project area and that development poses low risks. However, they clarified that the Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge does not regulate private land and had not communicated with the project proponent regarding this specific development.
Citizens accused the Okmulgee City Council of withholding information and misleading the public about the Fluid Stack project. Despite Fluid Stack reportedly filing all required paperwork, residents felt uninformed and demanded transparency, questioning why the project was not on the council's agenda. The public outcry included calls for the resignation of the mayor and city manager, with residents feeling that they had been misinformed and lied to about the data center's implications. The council did not address the complaints during the meeting.