MISSION: This petition is for citizens who oppose data centers built in Henry County, Georgia.

HISTORY: Developers are trying to change our county's Future Land Use Map (FLUM) to build an approx. 1,253,754 million square foot data center campus in the Strickland Rd. / Simpson Mill Rd. / Hampton Locust Grove Rd. / Kensington Pointe Subdivision area, adjacent to existing residential and farmland (Click here to see site plan). If approved, this could open the floodgates to even more data centers built in existing residential/agricultural areas and our county. Data Centers are a cause for concern due to significant power and water consumption issues and noise pollution from equipment, A/C units, and generators to cool the 24/7 operated equipment, which could and likely will impact the existing citizens of Henry County, GA.

Here are some links to articles that support concerns of data centers:

1. https://georgiarecorder.com/2024/12/02/georgia-power-says-data-center-growth-will-cause-electricity-demands-to-triple-in-next-decade/
2. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-12-08/georgia-s-blackstone-backed-qts-data-center-hits-resistance-over-ai-power-needs
3. https://soar.gdsassociates.com/Rfps/Detail?id=9ba71c67-48bd-4193-b026-70730ecd2e15
4. https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/verify-whats-all-the-data-center-noise-about/65-0a695ecf-9eac-44bc-93f8-9fd7f4bbfd88

Facts: Facts that help state the Data Centers Will Create a Public Health and Safety Concern;

• October 24, 2024- Henry County Commissioners & the Water Authority had a Special Called meeting to discuss developments in Henry County & the Water Authority’s plan to ensure that the water needs for the already approved projects are met.
  • It is important to note that in that meeting, Chairman Warren Holder (Henry County Water Authority) stated the following: Our water resources in the North corridor of the county, which are located by Hudson Bridge, were given to Clayton County many years prior. Henry County kept the water resources in the southern corridor of the county. Therefore, we only have one major water resource for our entire county.
  • It was also mentioned that the Water Authority is almost at capacity and was working on a plan to keep up with upcoming developments.
  • Chairman Holder stated that the reason the statement of being almost at capacity with water was made was because the Water Authority had not been brought into the beginning of the planning process for the 2023 Future Land Use Map & the Comprehensive Land Use Map changes, something that should have happened to anticipate the future water needs of the county. He further stated that not bringing in the Water Authority at the beginning of these most important planning stages put the county at significant risk of being at water capacity. He would also like to see the School Board & the Hospital Authority included in these meetings as they have been.
  • Chairman Holder also spoke briefly about the upcoming data centers and their potential negative impact on the county’s water system.
• Based on research, it should also be noted that several parcels of land have already been bought by several developers/investors in the area by the Data Centers. These developers/investors are waiting for the Comprehensive Land Map changes, as it will pave the way for the developments they want to build. If this all passes the last of the rural land in Henry County, it will be forever changed and set on a path of urban sprawl. Here is a link to a map showing several parcels of land currently being sat on by these developers/investors: Click Here to View Map.
• These data center facilities would require several fire stations if a chemical hazard or fire were to occur. We do not have but one that could respond, thus putting the general public in clear and present danger. This severely demands our ability to service a data center of any size and much less protect the residences and landowners surrounding it.
• Gerry McGovern stated to Hotpress, "If you live close to a data center, it'll drain and pollute your water, guzzle your energy, pump toxins into your air, make noise, bring little or no local jobs, and will be gone in 15-20 years leaving a big, ugly shell behind."

COMMON DATA CENTER HEALTH HAZARDS:

• AIR QUALITY & ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS: They require controlled airflow and constantly build up airborne contaminants and particulate matter.
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): VOCs enter the air from products and processes. They can lead to problems with the lungs, central nervous system, kidneys, liver, and cancer. VOCs easily turn into vapor, do not break down easily, can stay in the air for a long time, and travel long distances; they can be in the air, food, or water. cVOCs increase the risk of cancer, and mVOCs are microbial, possibly stemming from microbes or fungal spores. The list of symptoms for VOC effects is long and varied, ranging from irritation in the eyes, nose, and throat to headaches, fatigue, nosebleeds, loss of coordination, confusion, changes in the heart rhythm, and other cardiac problems. I have heart
  issues.
• Electromagnetic Fields of Radiation (EMFs): Electromagnetic Field (EMF) exposure is hazardous and is an area of moving electrical charges. Some can be harmful, especially those involving ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation breaks chemical bonds and changes the molecular and chemical structures of various substances, including human tissue, such as skin damage and tissue damage, damage to a developing fetus, damage to bone marrow, oxidative damage, fertility complications, effects on a developing fetus, and cancer.
• Respiratory issues in humans and animals can be caused by e-waste (CO2), toxic waste, heat, chemical exposure to cleaning, maintenance, and fire suppression chemicals.
• The heat stress from equipment and environment is 24/7/365.
• Poor ventilation, dust, debris, and chemical off-gassing diminish air quality, which can lead to respiratory problems.
• Chemical exposure risks from suppression gases, particularly halon, pose high risks.
• Arc flash hazards can reach a temperature of 35,000 degrees F. In 2022 alone, arc flashes caused 7,000 burns, 2,000 hospitalizations, and 400 deaths.
• Gas leaks and fire hazards cause respiratory issues or explosions. Electrical equipment can also pose fire hazards.
• Electronic and toxic waste, or e-waste, releases toxic and hazardous substances, such as carbon dioxide (CO2). Greenhouse gas emissions like CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide all contribute to the thickening of the Earth's atmosphere.
• All of these are detrimental to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Henry County.

LAND USE:

• Large data centers clear large tracts of land and wipe out biodiversity or complete species extinction. Without trees, water is not put back into the atmosphere to help cool and aid in climate change. Trees clean the air and help to filter the water. They remove carbon dioxide and help to slow climate change. They also provide oxygen.

ELECTRICITY:

• Electrical hazards include brownouts, power outages from high energy consumption, fire, and contamination that damages land and water, not to mention the danger to humans. 

WATER:

• Data Centers refuse to be transparent about their water usage. They contribute to water shortages and contamination. 
• Drainage, the amount of water used within the WPO (Water Protection Ordinance) area, and contamination during the build period and after from the structure and intended use threaten our watershed.
• FLUM is regulated, in part, by the watershed, which is a protection ordinance.
• The WPO is intended to limit development and offer additional protection against harmful developments within the watershed areas. 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:

• International Energy Agency (IA)—Global data center electricity usage in 2021 was 220-320 Terawatt hours, as much as a 60% rise compared to 2015. Data centers and transmission networks are responsible for nearly 1% of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Emissions must be cut in half by 2030.
• Water is used directly through cooling processes to prevent servers from overheating and indirectly through electricity generation, i.e., cooling towers, chillers, piping, and air conditioning. Most use evaporative cooling, which removes and releases heat within a data center into the outside environment and cools new air coming in. An average Google data center consumes approximately 450,000 gallons of water per day. At the same time, some can move up to hyperscale data centers that consume millions of gallons of water daily.
• In cooling systems, water is evaporated in data center cooling towers, leaving behind salty waste water known as "blowdown" that has to be treated by local utilities. About 20% of data centers in the US rely on watersheds that are under moderate to high stress, according to Arman Shehabe, a scientist at Berkeley National Laboratory. There is little transparency because they can either consume less water and use more electricity or use less energy and more water.
• Of contention is where data centers are sourcing their water. Many draw from potable water sources, such as drinkable water.
• Many current landowners have drilled or bored wells for personal and farm use. When a Data Center pulls the water table below the "pool," it pulls water from the land owners' drilled or bored wells, causing hardship to the land owners, their families, animals, and wildlife. We just came through a drought that lasted several years. Most ponds and lakes were in trouble in our area. Several dried up completely or enough that animals lost their water source and had to be moved. We have had below-normal levels of rain for the last 5 years.
• A mid-sized data center consumes around 300,000 gallons of water daily, or as much as 1,000 US households. Knowledge of water stress is evolving very quickly. Myers of CyrusOne said, "Water is going to be king."

NOISE POLLUTION:

• "Operation and use of any noise-producing device which is unreasonably annoying or endangers individuals or wildlife" - is prohibited. It is also a nuisance and occurs outside the 10:00 pm curfew for noise in the county.
• Henry allows 60 decibels. Data Centers operate 24/7/12, and their noise pollution - can be heard as much as 2.5 - 3 miles away. How many thousands of people, children, and animals will live within a 3-mile radius? Noise pollution is a nuisance to humans and animals alike.
• Known physical problems caused by Data Centers: hearing loss, stress to humans and animals, hypertension, anxiety.
• 192 megawatts use causes hearing impairment - hearing loss is cumulative and causes stress and Tinnitus. OSHA requires monitoring where noise levels approach 85 dBA,

OTHER:

• Cyber attacks - National Security threat
• Decreased property values
• Unwanted commercial appearance. No amount of trees can hide it - like lipstick on a pig.
• Increased traffic from strangers in a residential area