Jefferson Davis County Residents Sound Alarm Over Proposed $6 Billion Data Center Project
Residents in Jefferson Davis County delivered a petition with 950 signatures opposing Eagle Rock Partners’ proposed $6 billion Big Woods Technology Park data center near Bassfield. They cited potential health, environmental, noise, air pollution and water-use impacts, while county officials and project representatives emphasized economic benefits and plans for on-site power and closed-loop cooling.
Residents opposed to Eagle Rock Partners’ proposed Big Woods Technology Park data center near Bassfield presented 950 signatures to the Jefferson Davis County Board of Supervisors and called for a temporary pause on data center construction. Speakers raised concerns about public health, air and noise pollution, water resources and the limited opportunity for public input. Some residents urged the county to adopt stronger noise and air-pollution safeguards before the project advances.
Eagle Rock Partners said the $6 billion, 800-acre project remains in its early planning stages and that it will pursue required permits, environmental reviews and other approvals. County officials said the project would generate about 200 jobs and $70 million in annual tax revenue at full buildout, while using on-site gas generators and a closed-loop cooling system that would draw an estimated 20,000 gallons of water per day from the Catahoula Formation Aquifer. Because the property is privately owned and the county has no zoning regulations, officials said their ability to intervene is limited.