Page wants County health department to monitor low frequency data center noise
The St. Louis County Planning Commission approved recommendations for data center zoning standards, including setbacks and noise monitoring requirements, and forwarded them to the County Council. County Executive Sam Page also wants the public health department to monitor low-frequency data center noise county-wide, though the proposal has not yet been approved or budgeted.
The St. Louis County Planning Commission approved recommendations for data centers in unincorporated areas of the county after months of public feedback. The proposed standards include setbacks and noise-monitoring requirements tied to a facility’s size, and will now go to the St. Louis County Council for consideration. No data center projects are currently under review in the unincorporated county.
County Executive Sam Page is separately urging the council to authorize the St. Louis County Department of Public Health to measure low-frequency noise from data centers across the county. Page said the county needs to address rumbling sounds that can disturb nearby residents, while noting that new equipment would be required and that the financial impact has not been determined. The proposal was raised as the council reviewed the county’s 2027 budget, but the cost of the new monitoring duties was not discussed.