New lawsuit alleges unfair secrecy around Effingham data center
A lawsuit has been filed against the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority and OpenAI affiliate Octans Georgia, alleging unfair secrecy and improper public process in a data center deal near Rincon, Georgia. Plaintiffs seek to void parts of the deal, including a 50% property tax break. A separate lawsuit challenges the county's zoning rules, and the county commission has delayed a vote on Octans' plan amidst public opposition and concerns over environmental impact and energy use.
A lawsuit has been filed in Effingham County Superior Court against the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority (ECIDA) and Octans Georgia, an OpenAI affiliate, alleging unfair secrecy and a lack of proper public process in a data center deal near Rincon, Georgia. Five county residents and the environmental group One Hundred Miles, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), claim the ECIDA conducted public business in private, failed to provide adequate notice for a key board vote, and did not publicly discuss the land sale.
SELC attorney Zachary Henneesee stated that