Check It Out: People with data centres in their backyards are speaking up

By Joan Janzen

A panhandler approached a guy on the street and said, "Can I ask you a question?" The man responded, "You just did." It was the end of the conversation.

Now Erin Brockovich is asking questions about data centres. A couple of decades ago a movie entitled Erin Brockovich was produced where Julia Roberts portrayed Erin, relaying the true story of a legal case regarding groundwater contamination.

Over thirty years later she is once again investigating. She created a map of data centres throughout the US which includes 33 that are up and running, 66 under construction and 47 more being proposed. The same scenario is playing out in another eleven countries, including Canada.

"You might just think it's one town, but when I create the big picture it changes the story. It's not one isolated place; it's everywhere. It's the whole planet," Erin told Shawn Ryan in an interview. "I created a self-reporting registry database where people could submit what is happening in their own back yard," she reported. "Why don't we pay attention to the very people who are experiencing what is happening in their own backyard?" Within ten weeks she received nearly 9,000 responses.

In every state, people noticed these centres were suddenly approved and their voice didn't matter. They're also being approved quickly in Canada, which is a complete contrast to all the red tape, stalling tactics and regulations required in the construction of pipelines in this country.

"It begins local, that's where you get your zoning and your permits. Everybody is reporting to me that data centres are showing up, but these were done in non-disclosure agreements. Even Microsoft has said they're going to remove all the non-disclosures. Why do you need a non-disclosure if there are no secrets?" she asked.

Was there any discussion concerning regulations? What is being done to address data centre accountability? Those are a couple of questions people are asking.

The centres are often welcomed because the construction creates a lot of employment. However, in some locations the structures are being delayed, contested or abandoned as community members speak up.

Juno News reported that a massive Alberta centre in the planning stages at Sturgeon County will be a natural gas power plant that will bring down electrical transmission costs for Albertans in the long run. However, there are many other concerns.

Cooling systems require massive amounts of water. One of the centres in Alberta is using a closed cooling system to address this issue; however, Erin noted they will still be using chemicals. About every two years the system needs to be cleaned. Are there any regulations regarding the disposal of those chemicals that are released?

She's hearing from whistleblowers, people managing the facilities who are seeing toxic runoff and there's no oversight or regulations.

Residents living near operating data centres are noticing a shift in their water levels in their wells, or their water table is lower and they have to dig a deeper well. Disruptions to the water system result in lower water pressure and discoloured water.

She's heard reports from people saying their water bill went from $40 a month to $800, and their electricity bill went from $160 to $440 a month. Someone in El Paso, Texas said they got a notice from the municipality to expect a 75 per cent increase in their utility bills. Some of the centres are the size of twenty super Walmarts, displacing farmland and trees.

Erin said every single person reporting on the data centres that have been running near their homes during the past two years says the constant 24/7 loud buzzing is driving them crazy. It's also affecting wildlife and migratory patterns.

"A farmer said since it's been operational he hasn't had a live birth in two years," she said. Are these sounds affecting animals in the womb? People living around them for the past two years are starting to report chronic fatigue and seizure-like symptoms. "They're all reporting it," she said.

While these huge centres are being constructed, a large company called NVIDIA has a project underway aiming to place small AI compute units in residential homes. In exchange, they will pay the homeowners' monthly electricity costs.

"Data centres have been around quite a while; however now it's like a land grab," she said. There are other options. China has created AI infrastructure consisting of tubes placed on the bottom of the ocean floor. "My understanding is they have regulations, and there are none here," she added.

"For me it's always about listening to the people. They're living it, breathing it. When all these people are experiencing the exact same thing, why are we not listening to them?" Erin asked.

This issue is bringing people together, as they put aside their differences and focus on a non-partisan issue that affects everybody.

Erin has been raising awareness, encouraging people to educate each other about the challenges and visit their municipal and local bodies that are approving these centres.

Before Erin's father passed away, he gave her some instructions. "He said it is my duty to be a good steward and it's my responsibility to do everything we can for our air, land, water and our health. Those are the gifts that we've been given that matter," she recalled. "I'll never forget it."