Residents urge board to reject data center settlement, cite environmental and process concerns

Dozens of residents told the Board of Supervisors Jan. 2 that the proposed settlement with 1778 Rich Pike LLC & JCO LLC should be rejected or postponed until after a new Supervisor takes office. Speakers raised environmental risks including potential wetlands destruction, pipeline installation, and threats to local water supplies; several abutting landowners and conservation advocates said technical plans are incomplete.

“Killing wetlands and building a facility that may impact our water is not acceptable,” said Kimberly Barton, an abutting property owner, urging the Board to resist developer influence. Multiple speakers warned that approving the settlement could set a regional precedent and encourage similar projects elsewhere in Northeast Pennsylvania.