'No turning back': Neighbors and ecologist warn proposed data centers threaten Meramec River

Residents of rural Franklin County, Missouri, along with ecologist Dr. Jennifer Moody, are sounding the alarm over two proposed data centers: the 400-acre Beltline development in Pacific and the 575-acre Provident development in Villa Ridge. Community members, organized through the Franklin County Rural Coalition, have attended numerous public meetings, and their concerns extend beyond traditional zoning issues to critical environmental impacts on the Meramec River, one of Missouri's most pristine waterways. A primary concern revolves around water resources. Gene Elkins, a long-time resident of Pacific, highlights the reliance on private wells in the area and fears the Beltline facility's daily consumption of 1.5 million gallons of water and its proposed use of PFAS chemicals for pipe corrosion protection. Elkins and Moody warn that once PFAS chemicals enter the aquifer and river system, the contamination would be permanent and could affect hundreds of thousands of people in the St. Louis area who depend on the Meramec for drinking water. Dr. Moody also noted the combined water demand of both facilities could rival that of the entire Franklin County population, potentially tapping local aquifers and creating a regional water strain. Environmentalists are particularly worried about the Meramec River, which runs alongside the Crooked Creek Farm site. Dr. Moody described the river's unique ecological fragility, citing the presence of endangered species like eastern hellbenders and various mussel species. She cautioned that thermal pollution from discharged cooling water could reduce dissolved oxygen and disrupt fish spawning cycles. The Missouri Department of Conservation, which conducted a Natural Heritage Review, recommended limiting tree clearing and carefully managing impacts on water levels, temperature, and runoff. Both Elkins and Moody also pointed to the potential harm to endangered bat species from noise pollution and the disruption of nocturnal pollinators from light pollution. The Franklin County Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to make a decision or defer on the proposals on April 21, with final authority resting with the Franklin County Commission.