1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

`I am writing to express my concern about the proposed 850 megawatt data center at 900 Conshohocken Road. If this was approved, it would be one of the largest industrial facilities ever built in Montgomery County. As a resident of Conshohocken, I feel that we are facing a pivotal moment as a developer seeks to convert one of our oldest and most valuable industrial properties, the Cleveland Cliffs steel plant, into a data center. This data center would occupy 66 acres of riverfront corridor and benefit mysterious Big Tech tenants who are unwilling to disclose their identities. This data center would put our communities and residents at risk. It is a power plant next to a high-density residential area (my borough) and adjacent to the Schuylkill River Trail, which brings visitors from across the Philadelphia area. The data center introduces significant environmental risks. The data center plans to use natural gas turbines and diesel generators to produce electricity for 24/7 operation. Natural gas turbines are a major source of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) that can include formaldehyde, toluene, and benzene per the EPA. Smokestacks will be erected to distribute these pollutants into our air and our residential communities. The site also has permits to draw from the Schuylkill River and deep-water wells to fill its cooling system, sacrificing our natural environment and drinking water to cool computer chips, processors, and equipment. Furthermore, the site location poses a threat not just to our community, but to the broader ecological systems dependent on this vital water source. Ultimately, the residents will be the one paying for this data center out of own pockets. This data center will increase natural gas demand in our area, raising OUR electric bills. Communities across the PJM corridor are already shouldering the electric burden for predatory Big Tech companies looking to cut costs wherever possible. We pay and they profit. The introduction of a data center would not only destroy our cherished environment, enjoyed by locals and visitors alike, and hurt our own pockets with rising energy prices, but it also threatens to bring unwelcome light and noise pollution. This is a 24/7 operation, and natural gas turbines and/or diesel generators will be working tirelessly to provide energy for the tenant's precious processing equipment. Natural gas turbines are effectively jet engines without the thrusters, and residents will be subjected to a constant hum. Please protect the residents of Plymouth Township and Conshohocken. Your voice matters in this fight to save our community from irreversible change. This town is full of so many wonderful community members and we all deserve clean air and water.