New group plans legal push to stop data centers in Calvert

A new non-profit organization, Citizens for Calvert, is preparing a legal challenge against data center developments in Calvert County, Maryland. The group held its first public meeting on June 25 in Owings, announcing plans for a "legal push" to halt ongoing data center proposals. Among the attendees were residents of Camp Canoy Road in Lusby, who live near a proposed 200-plus acre data center complex adjacent to the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, which reportedly received a site plan application from Amazon Web Services.

Residents voiced concerns over potential noise pollution, excessive water usage impacting local wells, adverse effects on wildlife and the environment, and the significant electricity demands of the facilities. Karl Ellwein, a Camp Canoy Road resident, criticized the county's zoning ordinance, which he claims controversially reclassified land near his neighborhood from farm and forest to heavy industrial with inadequate public notification. Citizens for Calvert President Amanda Racer La Costa stated the group's mission is "collective action" and that they would remain non-political, focusing on advocating for "an honest government process" through legal means. The group is actively fundraising, aiming to collect $25,000 to cover anticipated legal expenses, with Racer La Costa emphasizing that "the only thing to move the needle is legal action." The announcement follows the recent Maryland primary, where all three incumbent county commissioners who had voted against a moratorium on data center development were defeated.