Alabama deserves transparency about data centers

Public officials and project developers are shielding critical information on the financial and environmental impacts of a proposed 4.5 million square foot data center in West Jefferson County.

Bessemer elected officials have signed non-disclosure agreements with developers, so they won’t say how a proposed hyperscale data center, called “Project Marvel,” would impact water, air quality, energy use, and the quality of life for the surrounding community. The proposal would be a gigantic facility, including 18 buildings larger than an average Walmart Supercenter.

The city of Bessemer works for its citizens, not out of state data center developers. The decisions being made about this proposed data center will not only impact central Alabama but could be a blueprint for developers who don’t understand local issues and concerns to follow. Join the citizens of Bessemer and tell the city council not to rezone agriculture land for this data center until the community gets real answers on this proposal’s risks to our economic and natural resources.

Recipients: Mayor and City Council of Bessemer, AL

First Name

Last Name

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Address 1

City

State

ZIP Code

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Mayor

Kenneth

Gulley

Bessemer, AL

City

Council

Bessemer, AL

City Council

Jarvis

Collier

Bessemer, AL

City Council

Chester

Porter

Bessemer, AL

City Council

Sarah

Person

Bessemer, AL

City Council

Donna

Thigpen

Bessemer, AL

City Council

Teco

Stephens

Bessemer, AL

City Council

Carla

Jackson

Bessemer, AL

City Council

Cleo

King

Bessemer, AL

To whom it may concern,

I do not support rezoning agricultural land for Logistic Land Investments LLC’s massive data center proposal. Bessemer residents need real answers about how this project would strain our resources and threaten our quality of life before it can move forward. Here are some important questions I have about the impact of this project:

-Where will it get water? Warrior River Authority says it cannot supply the 2 million gallons a day the developer claims it needs without significant upgrades. Who will pay for those upgrades? 
-Why would the council consider rezoning 700-acres of agricultural land after it just voted to approve a comprehensive plan that says agricultural areas “should prioritize conservation” and “If there are a large number of properties already zoned for industrial use, Bessemer should not be rezoning large rural areas for industrial use.” 
-What will be done with the wastewater from this enormous facility?   
-How much energy would the facility need? Will energy needs impact current bills or mean more polluting power plants?  
-How many polluting diesel backup generators would be used during a power failure? How will that harm air quality in the community?  
-What are the project’s environmental impacts, including possible harm to fish and other important wildlife?

Bessemer, and the people who rely on central Alabama’s resources, deserve straight and complete answers about this proposed data center. I urge you to not let this project move forward until this developer can demonstrate “Project Marvel” is in the best interest of Bessemer, and our resources.

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