NO DATA CENTERS IN VIRGINIA
The Issue
Virginia's rich history and tight-knit communities are under siege, not by external forces, but through an onslaught of unnecessary data centers. We've already got a massive data center built, and now there are over 20 Flock cameras installed in a town with fewer than 2,000 residents. Why do we need such heavy monitoring?
Our small towns deserve to feel safe without feeling watched every minute of the day. Excessive surveillance does more than simply invade our privacy, it undermines trust within our communities. When neighbors are constantly under the surveillance lens, it erodes the very fabric that makes small-town life cherished and unique!!
These Flock cameras represent a profound intrusion into our personal lives, collecting data that might never be used for any legitimate purpose but could become vulnerable to misuse. NO ONE needs to feel like they are living in a panoptic state, especially when the crime rate doesn’t justify such invasive measures, EVER!
Virginia has a proud history of valuing freedom and privacy. We can protect our communities through smart, necessary measures that respect our rights and dignity. The deployment of these flock cameras needs careful reconsideration, ensuring that any surveillance is both justified and consensual.
I urge EVERYONE to join in calling for a halt to this heavy handed surveillance practice. Let’s protect our community values, our history, and our privacy.
Sign this petition to stop the excessive surveillance in Virginia towns and demand an approach that respects our rights and freedoms.
NO AI, NO DATA CENTERS, NO FLOCK CAMERA, WE DESERVE TO KEEP OUR LAND!!
The Problem With Data Centers :
Energy Costs -
Modern Al data centers require LARGE amounts of electricity sometimes equivalent to 100,000 to over a million households, which in the long run will make locals utility bills go up even more!
Some facilities plan to run their own gas plants daily ON SITE (like the xAI project in Memphis, Tennessee) further impacting LOCAL energy grids AND CHEMICAL EMISSIONS.
Water Usage -
Everyday more and more of our freshwater supply is being depleted by generative AI. ChatGPT alone uses 85,000 gallons to nearly 39 MILLION gallons DAILY, just to cool their servers!
Bigger data centers take up large geographical footprints, reducing available open space and INCREASING flood risk because the concrete and steel structures prevent NATURAL rainfall absorption.
Health And Environmental Issues -
Data centers use and rely DAILY on THOUSANDS of diesel backup generators that emit harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter. Some data centers also incorporate continuous on-site gas turbines. These emissions are linked to MULTIPLE harmful health problems like, increased cardiovascular conditions, cancer risks, and asthma exacerbations.
Data Centers also use cooling fans, chillers, and generators that all generate continuous industrial hums and vibrations that can lead to chronic sleep disruption, headaches, and vertigo for any residents that are close to the Data Center!
Cancer Cell Links -
Servers and cooling systems inside data centers rely on synthetic chemicals like PFAS for heat resistance, waterproofing, and fire suppression. Semiconductors, server hardware, and clean agent fire suppression systems heavily utilize PFAS. When released into the environment through manufacturing, hardware disposal, or cooling system a.k.a "blowdown" these chemicals accumulate in the body and are firmly linked to higher cancer rates and immune dysfunction diseases.
Appalachian Mountain History -
As Data Center developers move into Virginia and the broader Appalachian region, facilities are increasingly being built on protected lands and historic spaces.
Organizations like the American Battlefield Trust are actively fighting any data centers near sites like the Wilderness Battlefield. The people argue that 90 FT tall concrete data blocks completely ruin the historic visual context and importance of these places.
The National Parks Conservation Association warns that explosive infrastructure growth creates visual AND industrial noise pollution that cuts directly through IMPORTANT PARTS of the Appalachian Trail, Harpers Ferry, and Shenandoah!
Appalachian history is rich with generational family farming and a reliance on local mountain spring tables. Because bigger Data Centers require MILLIONS of gallons of water daily, local activists here in Southwest Virginia warn that turning local water supply toward tech infrastructure puts the regions agricultural heritage and groundwater health even more at SEVERE risk.
How YOU the people can help -
Do not stop voicing your opinions for Virginia, fight for our land and rights to privacy!
Spread the message everywhere, and help save Virginias historical land!
Sign the petition, and leave a comment with your experience or opinions!
One voice might not be powerful, but thousands can make an impact!!!
327
The Issue
Virginia's rich history and tight-knit communities are under siege, not by external forces, but through an onslaught of unnecessary data centers. We've already got a massive data center built, and now there are over 20 Flock cameras installed in a town with fewer than 2,000 residents. Why do we need such heavy monitoring?
Our small towns deserve to feel safe without feeling watched every minute of the day. Excessive surveillance does more than simply invade our privacy, it undermines trust within our communities. When neighbors are constantly under the surveillance lens, it erodes the very fabric that makes small-town life cherished and unique!!
These Flock cameras represent a profound intrusion into our personal lives, collecting data that might never be used for any legitimate purpose but could become vulnerable to misuse. NO ONE needs to feel like they are living in a panoptic state, especially when the crime rate doesn’t justify such invasive measures, EVER!
Virginia has a proud history of valuing freedom and privacy. We can protect our communities through smart, necessary measures that respect our rights and dignity. The deployment of these flock cameras needs careful reconsideration, ensuring that any surveillance is both justified and consensual.
I urge EVERYONE to join in calling for a halt to this heavy handed surveillance practice. Let’s protect our community values, our history, and our privacy.
Sign this petition to stop the excessive surveillance in Virginia towns and demand an approach that respects our rights and freedoms.
NO AI, NO DATA CENTERS, NO FLOCK CAMERA, WE DESERVE TO KEEP OUR LAND!!
The Problem With Data Centers :
Energy Costs -
Modern Al data centers require LARGE amounts of electricity sometimes equivalent to 100,000 to over a million households, which in the long run will make locals utility bills go up even more!
Some facilities plan to run their own gas plants daily ON SITE (like the xAI project in Memphis, Tennessee) further impacting LOCAL energy grids AND CHEMICAL EMISSIONS.
Water Usage -
Everyday more and more of our freshwater supply is being depleted by generative AI. ChatGPT alone uses 85,000 gallons to nearly 39 MILLION gallons DAILY, just to cool their servers!
Bigger data centers take up large geographical footprints, reducing available open space and INCREASING flood risk because the concrete and steel structures prevent NATURAL rainfall absorption.
Health And Environmental Issues -
Data centers use and rely DAILY on THOUSANDS of diesel backup generators that emit harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter. Some data centers also incorporate continuous on-site gas turbines. These emissions are linked to MULTIPLE harmful health problems like, increased cardiovascular conditions, cancer risks, and asthma exacerbations.
Data Centers also use cooling fans, chillers, and generators that all generate continuous industrial hums and vibrations that can lead to chronic sleep disruption, headaches, and vertigo for any residents that are close to the Data Center!
Cancer Cell Links -
Servers and cooling systems inside data centers rely on synthetic chemicals like PFAS for heat resistance, waterproofing, and fire suppression. Semiconductors, server hardware, and clean agent fire suppression systems heavily utilize PFAS. When released into the environment through manufacturing, hardware disposal, or cooling system a.k.a "blowdown" these chemicals accumulate in the body and are firmly linked to higher cancer rates and immune dysfunction diseases.
Appalachian Mountain History -
As Data Center developers move into Virginia and the broader Appalachian region, facilities are increasingly being built on protected lands and historic spaces.
Organizations like the American Battlefield Trust are actively fighting any data centers near sites like the Wilderness Battlefield. The people argue that 90 FT tall concrete data blocks completely ruin the historic visual context and importance of these places.
The National Parks Conservation Association warns that explosive infrastructure growth creates visual AND industrial noise pollution that cuts directly through IMPORTANT PARTS of the Appalachian Trail, Harpers Ferry, and Shenandoah!
Appalachian history is rich with generational family farming and a reliance on local mountain spring tables. Because bigger Data Centers require MILLIONS of gallons of water daily, local activists here in Southwest Virginia warn that turning local water supply toward tech infrastructure puts the regions agricultural heritage and groundwater health even more at SEVERE risk.
How YOU the people can help -
Do not stop voicing your opinions for Virginia, fight for our land and rights to privacy!
Spread the message everywhere, and help save Virginias historical land!
Sign the petition, and leave a comment with your experience or opinions!
One voice might not be powerful, but thousands can make an impact!!!
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Petition created on June 22, 2026