Taylor Township supervisors quizzed on proposal for data center at former mill site

Residents concerned about facility rumored to be built on former paper mill property

ROARING SPRING -- Taylor Township residents packed the municipal building Tuesday night to ask supervisors questions about a proposed data center.

According to board chairman Jerome Dodson, the township recently met with Terawatt about installing a data center in the wooded area near the former Appvion Paper Mill site. He said the company is currently requesting information on regulations and procedures.

"No permits have been issued, and no plans have been submitted at this point," he said.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dodson said the facility will be air-cooled, it won't be loud and the Department of Environmental Protection will monitor health risks. He said the company told the board that electric bills will decrease with a data center, which prompted the crowd to burst into laughter.

"That I don't know," he said. "I know the regulations put forth by Governor Shapiro, and they're responsible for getting their own energy."

He said that the center could employ 25 to 50 workers, mostly 24/7 security personnel.

For those with more questions, he said state Reps. Andrea Verobish, R-Blair, and Scott Barger, R-Blair/Huntingdon, are hosting a Q&A session about data centers at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Blair County Convention Center. Registration closes Sept. 18.

Data center opposition

During public comment, borough resident Hilary Stiffey stood up to oppose data center development and voiced her concern about the board's lack of transparency.

"While we fully support the responsible redevelopment of the mill property, a massive industrial data center is entirely incompatible with the character and infrastructure of Roaring Spring," she said.

She said the tax revenue a data center can bring will be wiped out by long-term effects.

It's not recommended to live within 500 feet of a data center, she said, as it can expose residents to chronic illness and quality of life issues. Data centers can negatively impact local ratepayers, wildlife, climate change, light pollution and noise, with "sounds exceeding 86 to 105 decibels."

"Nearby is the YMCA, grade school, our school athletic fields," she said. "A quick Google search will tell you very clearly."

Building a data center in Taylor Township is too close to the community, resident Devin Baker said.

"Are people in Roaring Spring supposed to wear earmuffs?" he asked.

He said Penelec already struggles to keep up with the town's electricity, and taxpayers pay for the power grid. The electric bills won't go down because they're not producing electricity, he added, so they won't invest in their electricity grid.

"We have a lot of problems with our power lines. Where are they going to get power from?" he asked.

Instead of installing a data center, he suggested that the board consider building a park or horse trails.

Resident Jean Decker asked officials if they already signed a non-disclosure agreement for the site. Questions about adopting a data center ordinance before an application is filed or deciding water priority if there is a water shortage in the region were also on her list.

"Residents or the data center?" she asked officials.

After public comment, Dodson said the board didn't sign a non-disclosure agreement with the company.

Spring Cove School Board member Troy Wright commended the board for looking into data centers and asking questions surrounding the facility's development.

The residents are now finding more information about these centers through research, he said.

The paper mill used a lot of water and impacted the environment, but the residents were fine with it, he said.

"We are hurting," he said. "We lost Curry Supply, we lost the paper mill, we lost Roaring Spring Bottling, and now we have somebody coming, and we already want to run them out of town," he said.

He encouraged those in the audience to research benefits to data centers, adding that they must continue asking questions about the facility's effects on the community.

"I'm not saying I'm 100 percent for it, but thank you for at least looking into it and maybe bringing something in," he said.

Dodson said they will consider the public's comments and conduct more research.

The board approved adding a formal introduction by solicitor Patrick Fanelli about moving forward with a regulations draft. He said the ordinance is ready for review by the Blair County Planning Commission

Dodson said the township has seen people for months bringing data centers to their attention.

"Everybody had a feeling this was coming," he said. "It's just the way it is these days."

At the end of the meeting, Fanelli said that once the ordinance comes back to Taylor Township, it will be advertised in the Altoona Mirror for public review.

"I feel we need to look at both sides, pros and cons, instead of all the bad stuff," Dodson said.

Their next meeting is slated for 6 p.m. Oct. 5 at the township building, 7217 Woodbury Pike, Roaring Spring.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.