Colleton County to hold hearing on data center zoning overlay
Colleton County, South Carolina, is holding a public hearing on a proposed "digital infrastructure overlay" that could allow data center development in rural areas, including the environmentally sensitive ACE Basin. This action comes weeks after a data center moratorium was enacted, raising concerns among residents about environmental impacts, utility strain, and noise.
The article, a letter to the editor, expresses deep concern over actions by the Colleton County Council in South Carolina regarding data center development. The county is scheduled to hold a public hearing on September 14 regarding a "digital infrastructure overlay."
This proposed overlay would permit data center construction across most of Colleton County, including rural zones and the environmentally vital ACE Basin. This development follows the recent enactment of a six-month moratorium on data center negotiations. The author, an avid outdoorsman residing in Beaufort, warns that approving data centers in the sensitive ACE Basin could severely strain the power grid, increase water consumption, contribute to air pollution from "pop up" gas power plants and diesel generators, and generate disruptive noise. The proposed overlay also raises fears of extensive deforestation, wetland destruction, and compromised water quality due to clear-cutting and paving for data center sites.