Residents concerned after Mason County data center construction site floods again
Residents in Mason County, West Virginia, are experiencing repeated flooding and property damage due to ongoing construction at Nscale's Monarch Compute Campus. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has issued a unilateral enforcement order to Monarch Cloud Campus LLC for stormwater permit violations. Affected homeowners are considering leaving the neighborhood as Nscale offers to buy their properties.
Residents in Mason County, West Virginia, are facing significant hardship due to repeated flooding and sediment runoff from Nscale's Monarch Compute Campus construction site. Marsha Frame and Jim Pyle, residents on University Lane near the site, reported three instances of severe flooding, causing damage to their homes and yards, with some families already relocating or considering selling their properties.
Nscale's Monarch Compute Campus, an AI Microgrid developed in collaboration with NVIDIA and Caterpillar, is under construction north of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, with Phase 1 targeting 1.35GW of AI computing capacity by early 2028. Residents express frustration over the noise, dust, and environmental impacts, stating that offers have been made by the company to buy their homes.
In response to the incidents, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) issued a unilateral enforcement order to Monarch Cloud Campus LLC, citing stormwater permit violations. The order mandates immediate repairs and strengthening of stormwater controls, installation of additional erosion measures, and actions to prevent future releases. Site manager Jason Bechtle stated that Monarch Cloud Campus is in contact with WVDEP and residents, prioritizing neighbors and addressing concerns immediately, while also working to clean up and repair flood-related impacts at no cost to residents.