Lackawanna County School Boards Continue Fight Against Data Center Development Amid Legal Challenges
The Valley View School Board decided to continue its costly litigation against hyperscale data center and power plant developments in Lackawanna County, despite budget concerns. This decision highlights a regional fight in Northeastern Pennsylvania against numerous proposed data centers, including Cornell Realty Management's Wildcat Ridge project in Archbald. Local residents and officials are advocating for a united front, raising concerns about environmental impacts and potential conflicts of interest among legal representatives.
The Valley View School Board recently held a special meeting to discuss whether to continue its participation in litigation against data centers and power plants proposed near its district. Despite the financial strain of a protracted legal battle, the board privately decided to stay in the fight, a decision revealed in a public meeting.
Valley View School Board Director Joseph Farrell emphasized the regional nature of the opposition, urging communities across Lackawanna County and Northeastern Pennsylvania to unite against the developments. He referenced concerns that if Archbald successfully fends off data centers, neighboring communities like Olyphant might face them, leading to shared negative impacts without financial benefits. Lackawanna County is initiating an air quality and public health impact assessment, while the Mid Valley School District has requested a baseline environmental sound/noise study for its school complex in Throop.
Edmund J. Campbell Jr., lead attorney for Brooklyn-based Cornell Realty Management LLC's Wildcat Ridge Data Center Campus, was present at the meeting. Cornell Realty Management is behind one of the most significant proposals, targeting Archbald with 51 of the 90-plus data centers proposed in Lackawanna County, including 30 along a 1-mile stretch near Valley View schools. Campbell recently filed motions demanding the recusal of Archbald Borough Council members, citing bias, a move critics describe as a "shameless thuggery" to undermine local control.
Questions of conflict of interest arose when Archbald resident Geralyn Esposito confronted Valley View's solicitor, Larry Moran Jr., for simultaneously representing local governments battling developers and developers behind other projects like Project Gold, an $18 billion data center campus in Covington and Clifton townships. Moran defended his ability to advocate for his clients, citing his expertise in land-use law, but acknowledged the high costs of the ongoing legal battle. The community, however, expressed strong support for continuing the fight, with grassroots groups like Stop Archbald Data Centers contributing financially to the effort.