Microsoft is building a mega data center on a 900+ acre plot of land, the former St. Joe Farm, in St. Joesph County, Indiana. Granger/Mishawaka area that will be a health hazard to the community and a strain on vital resources like water, gas, and electricity.
WHAT'S AT RISKGas turbines used to power data centers release a mix of harmful air pollutants into the environment at ground level. These include nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and fine particulate matter (PM), all of which contribute to smog, acid rain, and respiratory problems. They also emit carbon dioxide (CO₂),Formaldehyde, aldehydes, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and trace metals, making turbine emissions a significant source of both local air pollution and global greenhouse gases.
Life expectancy is 9 years less and cancer rates are four times higher than the national average in areas near data centers. Areas with high particulate matter linked to asthma, heart disease, and cancer, with an 8% increase over the national average for breast cancer. A study by University of California, Riverside and Caltech estimates that by 2030, the pollution burden from data-center/AI-power generation in the U.S. could cause ~1,300 premature deaths per year (range ~940-1,590) and health/economic costs nearing $20 billion annually.
Data centers use an unimaginable amount of energy and resources to both power the facility and cool computer chips. Data centers us between 3-5 million gallons of water a day. They also use about 2.4 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per day of electricity, that's enough electricity to run a whole city used each day. When it comes to gas, data centers use about 8–10 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas per year, again it's the same with electricity, that's enough gas to power a city that data centers use each day.
The economic impact of a data center in a community deeming it a health hazard has a rippling effect, from property value to the job market. It's estimated that in the first year alone it would cost St. Joseph county 1.2 billion dollars. Property value decline $1.2 billion. Notre Dame lost revenue $70-80 million. Local tax revenue loss $22-23 million. Environmental remediation $50-200 million. Out-migration and spending $150 million, and with an estimated loss of 6000 jobs. As well as $500k in tax breaks for Microsoft building a data center in St. Joseph County, IN.
900+ Acres at between Bittersweet Rd, Cleveland Rd, and State Rd 23, at the location of the old St. Joe Farm. St. Joseph County, Granger/Mishawaka IN.
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