Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Environmental Quality
 
Board
Department of Environmental Quality
 
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2/27/23  8:50 am
Commenter: Sheri Sweeney

NO Data Centers in Residential Areas!!
 

Good morning. I have lost count of the number of hours, days, and weeks I have spent reading emails, writing letters, signing petitions, and participating in demonstrations to try and stop the irresponsible decisions being made to place massive, multiple data center operations near homes, schools, and parks. I already have a full-time job and shouldn't have to spend my time begging you to do yours with intelligence and integrity.  The recent admission of a lack of infrastructure (power) is going to cause even more of a burden on homeowners. Loud, polluting, diesel generators are NOT the answer. We are currently dealing with only a 100-foot buffer between my property line and multiple data centers.  I invite you to come to my home and observe how ludicrous this actually is.  I do NOT want my children playing in the parking lots of these operations. As a scientist I can tell you that the noise, pollution, and proximity to massive electrical substations does not go without significant health concerns and deserves attention before recklessly approving these operations. Many of these decisions and rezonings (Hunter property) were done in the height of a pandemic where the public was at a disadvantage to fully engage.  These are our homes, our neighborhoods, our livelihood.  It is where we come to escape the daily chaos and be with our husbands, wives, children, neighbors.  This is all being stolen from us, and our concerns have fallen on deaf ears for many months.  Enough is enough.  There should be NO data centers west of University Blvd.  Period.  The rapid approval of so many data centers in residential areas without a deep dive into the health and safety impact on families is completely irresponsible.  And because these were approved so rapidly without understanding the needs and consequences, we are now in a position to suffer more as things have to literally be rigged to make these centers possible.  This is completely unacceptable.  Please put a stop to this madness immediately!!  Ask yourself if you would like your family to be 100 feet from these operations.  Do you want your children outside playing and smelling diesel fuel?  Do you want your children constantly being exposed to the noise?  Do you want your children growing up next to massive electrical substations where the health effects are not completely understood?  Are you going to buy my home when property values plummet and I am stuck here?  For the love of God, please help us and save our homes and our children.  They don't deserve to grow up around these operations.  I ask you to reflect on the impact of these decisions on families and please do your part with integrity and intelligence.

CommentID: 209144