Tyrone Alliance for Responsible Growth

Trickum Creek runs through the proposed Microsoft data center site. The site also includes mapped wetlands and drains toward Line Creek, a critical water-supply shed. Is this an appropriate site for a data center, where discharges of chemical wastewater can overwhelm treatment plants or cause sewage backups?

Noise sources operate continuously at data centers. There are fans, cooling systems, transformers, substations, and electrical equipment. Generator testing and emergency operation then adds louder or low-frequency noise. "You feel it in your bones," a resident living near a data center in Aurora, IL describes the sound.

On-site generators emit particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds, which studies link to elevated rates of respiratory issues and asthma in neighboring communities.