Land & Habitat Destruction
Construction will permanently alter the landscape, destroying critical ecosystems.
- Forest & Wetland Clearing: Thousands of acres of natural habitat replaced by concrete and pavement ("impervious surfaces").
- Altered Waterways: Disrupts groundwater recharge, damages aquifers, and increases polluted runoff into creeks like Accokeek.
- Wildlife Corridor Fragmentation: Severs vital pathways for wildlife, isolating populations and threatening biodiversity.
Massive Resource Drain
Data centers are industrial-scale operations with enormous energy and water demands.
- Extreme Energy Use: Just 2-3 data centers can consume as much power as all 50,000 homes in Stafford County combined.
- Grid Strain: Pushes the regional power grid to its limits, requiring new power plants and potentially doubling residential energy bills.
- Intensive Water Use: A single facility can use over 1 million gallons of water per day for cooling, straining local aquifers and the Rappahannock River Basin.
Pollution & Public Health
Operations produce persistent noise, light, and chemical pollution affecting residents and wildlife.
- Constant Noise: 24/7 hum from HVAC systems and loud generator testing (85-100 dBA) can disrupt sleep and cause long-term health issues.
- Light Pollution: Constant security lighting disrupts human sleep cycles and nocturnal wildlife behavior, migration, and reproduction.
- Chemical & Air Pollution: Risk of diesel fuel spills, coolant leaks, and air pollutants (NOx, SOx) from backup generators degrading air and water quality.
- Hazardous E-Waste: Tons of electronic waste containing heavy metals and toxins will end up in landfills, potentially leaching into groundwater.