Both Lee and Whiteside County are cherished for their shared riverfront destinations, close-knit communities, and scenic countryside views. However, this quality of life is now under threat. An recent advertisement was proposed to attract and sell nearly 400 Acres of agricultural farmland to then be turned into a sprawling Datacenter located on the middle border of both counties. This mere advertisement has both communities worried for what lies ahead, and fearful of the change in their quiet, peaceful, small town quality of life.

Data enters are being marketed as 'essential' for the modern digital days and increasing use of AI computation, however with the implementation of these sites all over the nation, the cost is highly problematic for many communities in highly noticeable ways. Residents nearby currently operational data centers complain of a number of things in varying severity. A constant 'hum' sometimes upwards of 78 decibels from fans and machineries heard miles away with nothing to block the sounds over the open farmland fields. Wildlife being disturbed and bothered has seen residents who used to have rarely seen deer with their baby fawns grace their backyards in search of food end up being run off to find different quiet and safe spaces for their offspring. Other concerns detail immense infrastructure consumption rates of water lowering the water table for surrounding family homes requiring their wells to be dug deeper on at their own costs, sometimes even depleting aquifers near entirely, and even of course lower water pressure being experienced by the residential homes nearby. 

Most concerning however, with the increased rates in consumption, fears of toxic pollution from these sites processing water wastes through a multitude of their operation systems like thermal pollution leave the area noticeably hotter and more humid, raising day and night time temperatures near the data centers. The presence of Biocides and corrosion inhibitors are noted in the wastewater after millions of gallons of water are processed by these centers to aid in their main cooling systems. Also the presence of PFAS that data centers use in fire prevention, 'forever chemicals', degrade into highly toxic and carcinogenic compounds if used or not. The local 'Howland Creek', branching off of the Rock River shared between many in this valley from Dixon to Rock Falls and Sterling, runs all the way through the proposed location property, surrounded by extensive farmland. Residents are worried that should anything happen, this environment and local ecosystem would pay the ultimate price.

These factually documented issues of consumption and pollution in other cities are too much for us to ignore for any promises of monetary value.

All of these issues are too big to ignore in our backyard. The Sauk Valley is a beautiful place that cannot afford any more snap decisions from large mega-companies that change the course of our lives here in Lee and Whiteside County. We have felt the sting from multiple corporate level betrayals before that left hundreds of thousands in our towns left without jobs, reduced, or frozen 401Ks and retirements. Real people that had to effectively restart their lives at 40 years old after manufacturing shut down simply from national and global companies securing more profit with no regard for peoples futures. We have adapted from these old days and cannot afford another negative incident from a large scale operation adversely affect us again while our communities are trying to grow. Just as the Hennepin Canal is located nearby, construction starting in the late 1890s and completed in the first decade of the 1900s was nearly completely obsolete by the time is was opened because new ways to move freight were being implemented that left canal transportation systems obsolete, Railroads. With the way technology advances, we also cannot afford another massive project that may end up obsolete and shut down as well leaving another massive empty facility, that even in use won't provide very many permanent jobs for those living nearby either.

This petition will show local government and municipalities responsible that the people are standing up for our environment, our future, the wellbeing of each other and stating loud and clear that we do not want this agricultural land sold, or rezoned into 'prime data center' land as advertised, and signatures collected should be used in Lee County committee meetings as clear data in opposition to the allowance of such large scale, nearly unregulated businesses to be implemented here in our community for only monetary gains in return.

Farmland is for farmers.

Featured photo is the exact parcel of land currently used for local farmers growing crops for our local area and our nations benefit. Please sign this petition to help preserve this landscape and keep data centers out of Lee and Whiteside Counties.