Our Great Lakes are an incredible, precious, and rare natural resource. Living close to Lake Erie, I have seen its beauty and vibrant ecosystem first-hand. However, the proposed re-purposing of the IX Center in Cleveland, Ohio, into a data center for Amazon Web Services poses a dire threat to this ecological jewel and its surrounding environment.

Data centers, as we know, use extremely high amounts of water to cool their generators, releasing very hot and contaminated water back into the water bodies. This disturbing process leads to nutrient imbalance and substantially lowers dissolved oxygen levels in the water, which is undeniably harmful to any aquatic ecosystem. In the case of Lake Erie, the shallowest and most biodiverse of all the Great Lakes, these effects would be disastrously amplified.

Lake Erie is not just a natural wonder; it is a critical habitat for countless species and a crucial resource for local communities. The Great Lakes serve as the world's largest group of freshwater lakes, making them indispensable to the environmental health and economic prosperity of not only Ohio but the entire region. Allowing such large-scale industrial operations to jeopardize our natural water resources is an irresponsible gamble we cannot afford to take.

The potential environmental impact of the data center's construction cannot be overlooked. According to scientific studies, excessive heat discharge and pollutants can result in long-term degradation of water quality and endangerment of aquatic life. With harmful algae blooms already a significant issue in Lake Erie, adding another stressor could have irreversible consequences.

We urge local officials, environmental authorities, and corporate decision-makers to reconsider this project. More sustainable alternatives must be explored so that economic development does not come at the cost of our natural resources. 

Join me in demanding that the re-purposing of the IX Center into a data center be stopped immediately. Sign this petition to voice your commitment to preserving Lake Erie and maintaining the environmental integrity of our Great Lakes.

In addition, PLEASE contact your congresspeople through call or email! 
You can reach OH-11 Congresswoman Shontel Brown at (216) 522-4900 or (202) 225-7032 OR shontelbrown.house.gov/contact.