DAVIS, W.Va. — A coalition of environmental organizations is challenging the permit issued by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for the development of a data center in Tucker County and the power plant nearby to produce the electricity to energize the facility.
The permit was approved for Virginia based Fundamental Data’s Ridgeline Development to operate the gas fired power plant near the community of Davis.
The proposal drew opposition from a number of local residents as well as environmental groups who believe the power plant will have a much greater negative impact on the local community than developers let on in the application period.
“They claim this would be a minor source of air pollution. Well, this would be a power plant the size of Mount Storm or Mitchell and some of the biggest power plants in West Virginia and we don’t think that would just be a ‘minor’ source of pollution,” said Jim Kotcon, chairman of the West Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club.
“They claimed a lot of the information they should have been reporting was confidential business information, so we in the public have very little chance of verifying whether this is a minor source,” he added.
Appalachian Mountain Advocates filed a legal appeal this week to the West Virginia Air Quality Board. The appeal was filed on behalf of the West Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, and Tucker United. All three citizens organizations have come together to fight the permit and the creation of the data center.
“We would like the West Virginia DEP to require much more extensive monitoring and emissions control. We want them to monitor the air pollution dispersion in the valley. They have declined to do that, so we are appealing that permit decision,” Kotcon said.
Kotcon added his organization is not opposed to data centers, but believes they should operate responsibly.
“There are many people who recognize the needs of data centers, I use computers myself. But, a good neighbor is not one that’s going to hide information from you and pollute the air you breathe. We want data centers that are going to be good neighbors and not the worst of the worst coming in an polluting our air,” said Kotcon.
The West Virginia Air Quality Board has set a hearing on the appeal for November 5.