Another Central Ohio township bans all new data center development as concerns arise nationwide
For some Central Ohioans, data centers are now quite literally in their backyards. While that may not seem like a big deal to others, people all over the country who live close to these data centers are experiencing soaring electric bills, air, water, and noise pollution, and even reports of miscarriages and rare cancers.
A startling piece by Rolling Stone magazine exposed that a town in Oregon, where an Amazon data center was built, has experienced a rise in rare medical conditions. Jim Doherty, a cattle rancher and former county commissioner of Morrow (in Oregon), led the investigation. Of the first 30 homes he visited, 25 residents recently had miscarriages. Six lost a kidney. One resident had his voice box removed because of a rare cancer only smokers get, although he hadn’t smoked a day of his life.
It’s important to note that there are now 28 Amazon data centers here in Central Ohio.
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According to numerous studies, Central Ohio is leading the nation in data center growth. While the nation is on track for 20% growth, Central Ohio has seen a 1,800% growth just between 2020 and 2025, according to the real estate firm JLL. Columbus is the 10th largest data center market in the entire country.
And many people are concerned about this, understandably. Earlier this year, Jerome Township Trustees unanimously agreed to pause all data center construction for at least nine months, and now another Central Ohio township is following suit.
Washington Township, in the northwest corner of Franklin County and parts of Union and Delaware counties, unanimously voted on Dec. 8 to place a 90-day ban on data centers, and they’re asking Dublin to do the same.
Pending legal review, this could be a permanent ban, according to the resolution and Washington Township Trustee Chuck Kranstuber.
Kranstuber believes that data centers are “inconsistent with residential neighborhoods,” and result in heavy water and electricity consumption, air and noise pollution, and even fire safety issues.
Read more about data centers and their environmental impact here.
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