My name is Wyatt Deihl. I am a sixth-generation Floridian, born and raised in Okeechobee County on the Kissimmee Prairie. My family has lived on and cared for this land for over 150 years. I am also a graduate of Indian River State College (IRSC), where I earned my Associate of Arts degree before continuing my education and eventually earning a Master of Public Health from Yale University.

I say that not to list credentials, but to make something clear: I am deeply connected to this community, and I believe in the mission of IRSC. That is exactly why I cannot support the proposed IRSC Okee-One data center at the former Boys School site.

IRSC represents opportunity. It represents investment in people, in students, and in the future of communities like ours. It helped make my own path possible. Because of that, I hold it to a higher standard. A project tied to this institution should reflect its mission, not contradict it by placing environmental and public health burdens on the very community it is meant to serve.

This is not opposition from the outside. This is accountability from within.

And the reality is this: the Okee-One data center is not just another development. It is a direct and preventable threat to our water, our health, our infrastructure, and our way of life.

The proposed site sits in a hydrologically sensitive region connected to Lake Okeechobee, one of Florida’s most critical water systems and a cornerstone of the Everglades ecosystem. This watershed is already under stress from phosphorus pollution and harmful algal blooms, which are linked to serious health risks, including respiratory irritation, liver toxicity, and neurological effects. Placing a high-demand industrial facility in this location increases the risk of contamination, runoff, and long-term ecological damage, while undermining decades of restoration efforts.

Data centers themselves are far from low-impact. They require enormous amounts of electricity and water, often operating 24 hours a day. Some facilities consume millions of gallons of water daily for cooling. In a community that depends on clean, reliable groundwater for drinking, farming, and daily life, this level of demand puts real strain on our aquifer and increases the risk of higher utility costs and long-term shortages.

The energy demand is just as concerning. Data centers place significant strain on power grids, and that cost does not simply disappear; it is often passed on to residents and small businesses through higher electricity rates and infrastructure upgrades. In a county where families are already working hard to make ends meet, we should not be subsidizing a power-intensive industrial facility.

There are also clear public health risks. Data centers rely on diesel backup generators, which emit fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, pollutants directly linked to asthma, cardiovascular disease, and premature death. These impacts are especially serious in rural communities with limited healthcare access.

The site itself introduces additional dangers. Redevelopment of the former Boys School property will require demolition, asbestos abatement, and environmental remediation. Without strict oversight and transparency, these processes can release airborne contaminants and disturb soil and groundwater, creating both immediate and long-term health risks.

And beyond the environmental and health concerns, we must ask a simple question: what does Okeechobee actually gain?

Despite the scale of this project, the long-term economic benefits to the community are limited. Most jobs are temporary construction positions, while permanent roles are few and highly specialized. Meanwhile, residents are left with the impacts, higher utility costs, increased infrastructure strain, industrial noise, traffic, and the permanent loss of rural character.

Communities across the country are already pushing back against similar projects after experiencing these exact outcomes. The pattern is clear: the benefits go outward, while the costs stay local.

Okeechobee is not the right place for this kind of industrial-scale infrastructure. Our identity is built on open land, clean water, agriculture, and a strong sense of community. Once those are compromised, they cannot simply be restored.

This is about more than one project. It is about the future of our county.

We are not against progress. We are for responsible, evidence-based growth that protects our resources and actually benefits the people who live here.

We call on the Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners, state leaders, and Indian River State College to reject or relocate the Okee-One data center and require a comprehensive, independent environmental and public health impact assessment before any further consideration.

You have a duty to protect this community.

Tell our County Commissioners: We say NO to Okee-One.

Sign the petition. Protect Okeechobee.

Contact Your County Commissioners:

District 1: David Hazellief
Email: dhazellief@okeechobeecountyfl.gov
Phone: (863) 763-6441 | (863) 610-1553

District 2: Frank DeCarlo
Email: fdecarlo@okeechobeecountyfl.gov
Phone: (863) 763-6441 | (863) 532-9374

District 3: Bradley Goodbread
Email: bgoodbread@okeechobeecountyfl.gov
Phone: (863) 763-6441

District 4: Terry W. Burroughs
Email: tburroughs@okeechobeecountyfl.gov
Phone: (863) 763-6441 | (863) 532-6036

District 5: Michael Sumner
Email: msumner@okeechobeecountyfl.gov
Phone: (863) 763-6441 | (863) 532-9006

Board of County Commissioners Main Office: (863) 763-6441

County Administration (Deborah Manzo):
dmanzo@okeechobeecountyfl.gov