Residents urge Spokane County to join city in moratorium or ban on AI data centers
June 23, 2026 | Spokane County, Washington
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A string of residents told the Spokane County Board of Commissioners during the open public forum that the county should join the city in placing a moratorium or outright ban on AI data centers, citing threats to water supplies, environmental harms and social impacts.
Jeremiah Harding opened the forum saying data centers “waste water,” threaten aquifers and widen surveillance risks; he urged officials to oppose data centers “now and always.” Melanie Perry said more than 100 people turned out at a city meeting the night before and asked the county to “join the city in passing a moratorium or outright ban” to protect the Spokane River and local aquifer. Ellen Pickin, a District 5 resident, told commissioners that when “our river runs dry” the harm is undeniable and asked the county to follow the city’s steps to protect clean water.
Other speakers repeated similar concerns. Zenthia Peterson noted the city council’s near‑unanimous vote and asked the county to coordinate with the city and to make meeting sign-up information more accessible. Courtney Maniller and Christian Maniller described local drought and job worries; Christian Maniller said he could not complete salmon fishing this year because the river was too low. So Anaya and Esther, a preschool teacher, emphasized AI’s social harms, including scams and mental‑health impacts on young people and seniors. Jorge Guerrero, speaking for Veterans for Peace, opposed data centers as benefiting only a few companies while straining local resources.
Not all comments focused solely on AI. Joseph Godsy, commissioner for East Spokane Water District No. 1, used his time to raise a separate concern about the Buttercup Superfund site, saying he had seen information suggesting the county might privatize it and warning privatization historically increases the risk of leaks; he asked the county to consider converting the site into a park or educational resource.
The commissioners closed public testimony after seven speakers and did not take immediate action on the data‑center requests during the meeting. The chair said staff would work on making meeting instructions easier to find on the county website.
The public comments do not record any formal response from the commissioners endorsing a moratorium or ban; the record shows only that the board heard testimony and proceeded with the rest of its agenda.
Jeremiah Harding opened the forum saying data centers “waste water,” threaten aquifers and widen surveillance risks; he urged officials to oppose data centers “now and always.” Melanie Perry said more than 100 people turned out at a city meeting the night before and asked the county to “join the city in passing a moratorium or outright ban” to protect the Spokane River and local aquifer. Ellen Pickin, a District 5 resident, told commissioners that when “our river runs dry” the harm is undeniable and asked the county to follow the city’s steps to protect clean water.
Other speakers repeated similar concerns. Zenthia Peterson noted the city council’s near‑unanimous vote and asked the county to coordinate with the city and to make meeting sign-up information more accessible. Courtney Maniller and Christian Maniller described local drought and job worries; Christian Maniller said he could not complete salmon fishing this year because the river was too low. So Anaya and Esther, a preschool teacher, emphasized AI’s social harms, including scams and mental‑health impacts on young people and seniors. Jorge Guerrero, speaking for Veterans for Peace, opposed data centers as benefiting only a few companies while straining local resources.
Not all comments focused solely on AI. Joseph Godsy, commissioner for East Spokane Water District No. 1, used his time to raise a separate concern about the Buttercup Superfund site, saying he had seen information suggesting the county might privatize it and warning privatization historically increases the risk of leaks; he asked the county to consider converting the site into a park or educational resource.
The commissioners closed public testimony after seven speakers and did not take immediate action on the data‑center requests during the meeting. The chair said staff would work on making meeting instructions easier to find on the county website.
The public comments do not record any formal response from the commissioners endorsing a moratorium or ban; the record shows only that the board heard testimony and proceeded with the rest of its agenda.
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