HALT HERMANTOWN DATA CENTER;DEMAND FED INVESTIGATION OF TREATY & LAW VIOLATIONS

The proposed 1.8 million square-foot Hermantown data center violates federal environmental law and indigenous treaty rights, requiring immediate Senate intervention. **Treaty Violations:** This project sits on 1854 Treaty of La Pointe lands where Ojibwe tribes retained “extensive rights to use the land, including hunting and fishing rights.” The 421-page environmental review contains zero evidence of consultation with the 1854 Treaty Authority, Grand Portage Band, Bois Forte Band, or Fond du Lac Band, violating federal trust responsibility. **Clean Water Act Violations:** The project will destroy up to 10 acres of wetlands without required Section 404 permits from the Army Corps of Engineers. The environmental review states permits are “to be completed, if required” - systematic avoidance of mandatory federal oversight for wetlands in the St. Louis River watershed feeding Lake Superior. **Regulatory Evasion:** The 421-page review deliberately never uses “data center” despite internal documents confirming this purpose. This misrepresentation prevents proper environmental review of high-energy infrastructure impacts. **Due Process Denial:** Citizens face secretive development involving NDAs with utilities and misleading project descriptions. **Immediate Actions Needed:** - Contact Army Corps St. Paul District to require Section 404 permit applications before ground disturbance - Demand EPA investigation of procedural violations - Ensure tribal consultation under federal trust responsibility - Request full Environmental Impact Statement replacing inadequate state review - Support federal oversight of grid-scale energy infrastructure This affects Lake Superior watershed, violates government-to-government tribal relationships, and denies Minnesota communities transparent governance. Federal environmental laws and treaty obligations exist to prevent secretive environmental destruction. Your intervention is crucial to ensure federal law compliance and protect Minnesota’s environmental legacy.