Massena residents raise health, environmental concerns over proposed data center
Massena residents voiced strong opposition to a proposed data center expansion by NYDIG at a recent town board meeting, citing health, environmental, and water usage concerns. A petition for a three-year moratorium on data centers, emphasizing the need for studies on environmental and economic impacts, was presented to the board.
Massena residents turned out in large numbers to a recent Massena Town Board meeting to express vocal opposition to the proposed expansion of a data center at the former Alcoa East site. The project, led by Bitcoin mining operation New York Digital Investment Group (NYDIG), faces significant community backlash due to concerns about environmental impact, water usage, and potential health effects.
Speakers at the meeting raised fears that the data center would deplete local water resources and harm the environment, including the St. Lawrence River. Deputy Supervisor Samuel D. Carbone defended the project, highlighting Massena's existing electrical infrastructure and the need for new business following past plant closures, suggesting the data center could benefit the community by utilizing available power.
David Fenton, who organized a petition signed by over 475 people, formally requested the Massena Town Board impose a three-year moratorium on data centers. He argued that the pause would allow time for independent studies on economic and environmental impacts, review state information on similar moratoriums, and develop new zoning laws, water usage regulations, and energy requirements to protect the community. Other residents also spoke against the project, pointing to potential health issues and advocating for a public vote on the moratorium.
Conversely, James Hidy argued that Massena, described as a "dying community," desperately needs the revenue a data center could provide, suggesting that the opposition had not heard from industry professionals about the project's potential benefits. Despite the diverse viewpoints, the majority of attendees reiterated their opposition, with one speaker, Tiffany Cook, directly challenging town board members to reject the project, and another emphasizing the historical significance of the land as "Indian land."