WILMINGTON, Clinton County — Part of the Miami Valley may get a new, massive data center.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, Amazon Web Services wants to build a nearly 500-acre data center in Wilmington.
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The company said the project is a $4 billion investment and would create about 100 permanent jobs.
>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Southwest Ohio Amazon data center stalls development
It could also create millions of dollars in public infrastructure, a 1-million-gallon water tower, road improvements, and more, according to the company.
For about two hours Tuesday night, residents stood at the podium and pleaded with Wilmington’s planning commission not approve this site plan.
Community members are not thrilled about how close it would be to their homes and schools.
“I can tell ya a personal experience. I had a neighbor... put up an LED light next door, and it changed my life. I went over and asked them, please, you know, turn it off,” Bret Dixon, Planning Commission member, said.
“Many key details of which, particularly those involving environmental impacts, noise generation, and long-term build out, are still incomplete and unavailable to the public,” Kim Stackhouse said.
The proposed data center would be built off US-68 in Wilmington.
Many people fear that the center would negatively impact the environment, cause noise, and hurt their quality of life.
“What chemicals will be added to the water?” Michael Crowe, Public Service Director, asked.
Crowe asked an engineer representing Amazon about the center’s diesel generators.
He wanted to know how many hours a day they would run.
The engineer didn’t have an answer for Crowe or most of the other questions people had.
>>RELATED: I-TEAM: Data centers, water, and secrets: Companies using NDAs to hide their names, water usage
News Center 7’s I-Team previously obtained a statement from Amazon spokesperson Kylee Yonas regarding data centers across the region.
“Our data centers in Ohio exceed industry efficiency standards,” Yonas told the I-Team. “Our Water Use Effectiveness score, which measures the amount of water used per unit of computing power, is three times better than the U.S. industry average. Our commitment to the communities where we operate is equally important, which is why we have invested more than $19.7 billion in Ohio, creating thousands of jobs and supporting local communities through education programs, skills training, and renewable energy projects.”
In addition, Amazon told the I-Team, “We follow standard industry practices with full transparency. Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and corporate structures are common in major infrastructure projects, and we work openly with local governments and utilities to ensure fair cost-sharing for any needed infrastructure.”
Dixon expressed concerns about the city recently changing its sound ordinance.
“It looks like there’s been a planned effort to change our zoning code and our sound ordinances to meet the standards of something we didn’t know was going to exist. So... I’m not clear on how we mitigate that situation, but we did do that,” he said.
The commission agreed to table Amazon’s request while it waits for additional information.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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