Westmoreland County residents voice frustrations amid data center speculation
Some residents in Westmoreland County are voicing their frustrations over speculation about possible data centers coming to their township.
Angela Carson is one of many residents against data centers and said she started a petition to ban them in Rostraver Township.
"We're hearing about all of these possibilities with a data center nearby. What should we do? We should do something," Carson said.
She started the petition two days ago, and it already has over 1,000 signatures.
"It's everything that this community does not need, and it's not fair to its residents," Rostraver Township resident Marcey Moore said.
According to Rostraver Township officials, no data center has officially submitted plans to build in the township. KDKA Investigates has confirmed that several businesses and farmers have been approached across the region, including in Rostraver Township, by landmen representing firms interested in purchasing property, but for what exactly remains unclear.
KDKA-TV did confirm that at least one of the farms was approached by an oil and gas company, not a data center.
Rostraver Township officials said if a data center were to be built in the township, it would have to have several permits, something that has yet to be submitted.
Residents in the township told KDKA-TV that they're concerned about the environment if a data center were to be built.
"I don't think there's any person who is excited about the possibility of having a data center here in our community," Carson said.
"I've seen the videos of communities with data centers, their water is dirty, they have a trickle of water, they can't flush their toilets, there's a constant hum 24/7, so you've got noise pollution," Moore said.
KDKA Investigates went to the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County to see if they've been approached by a data center for resources. A spokesperson said they are not aware of anything like that.
We also reached out to West Penn Power and are waiting to hear back.
