City Council President asks IDEM to hold Google to ‘strictest possible’ review standards in wetlands request
Fort Wayne City Councilman Geoff Paddock has urged the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to apply the strictest environmental standards in its review of Google's request to fill 2.13 acres of wetlands for a data center expansion. Constituents have raised environmental concerns and plan to attend an August 25 public hearing on the matter. This follows past approvals for wetland filling and the addition of diesel generators for the facility.
Fort Wayne City Councilman Geoff Paddock has formally requested that the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) apply the "strictest possible environmental and permit review standards" to Google's latest proposal to expand its data center. The tech giant is seeking permission to fill 2.13 acres of forested, isolated wetlands to construct three new buildings, marking a third expansion phase for its Fort Wayne campus.
Paddock's letter to IDEM reflects significant community opposition, with many constituents expressing environmental concerns and planning to attend a public hearing on August 25. The Councilman, representing a district adjacent to the data center, highlighted that Google did not initially disclose its intention to impact wetlands when seeking rezoning approval in 2023.
This current request follows IDEM's previous approvals for Google, which included permission to fill over two acres of wetlands in an earlier phase and, in April, to add more than 140 emergency diesel generators despite public pushback. Paddock emphasized the cumulative environmental impact and the need for rigorous review for the betterment of the Fort Wayne community.