Resident raises lighting, noise, chemical and economic concerns about planned Google data center

During public comment July 14, Mike Hostetler, a candidate for the House of Delegates, urged Putnam County officials to seek more information from Google about a planned data center near Buffalo and described multiple community concerns observed at the New Albany site.

Hostetler told commissioners he and neighbors noted deep rumbling and light intrusion near the New Albany facility and reported higher electricity bills for some residents; he asked how many gigawatts the planned Buffalo site would have and whether Google would disclose closed‑loop cooling and generator plans. "I heard a deep rumble while I was there at the Google data center and that's at the very lower end of my hearing range," Hostetler said, and asked the county to request 3‑D microphone infrasound recordings from Google.

County officials said they expect Google to hold a town hall and that utilities (including water or power) would remain subject to applicable state regulation; a staff member referenced the Public Service Commission as the regulator for certain utilities. Hostetler also asked whether 'forever chemicals' (such as PFOA/C8) would be used in the site's water system; the county said it would ask Google for more information.

Commissioners and staff did not confirm technical claims in testimony; the hearing record shows these were community observations and requests for county follow‑up rather than staff findings. Several of Hostetler's statements — including an assertion that the CDC has "already confirmed" infrasound from data centers causes heart disease — were presented as the speaker's view and were not independently substantiated in the meeting record.

The commission accepted Hostetler's written questions and said staff would pursue contact with Google and share whatever information the company provides.