Copy of my letter to my local government:
2401 W Emaus Avenue, Allentown PA is a TERRIBLE location for a data center.
The Wynnewood Greens Apartments across the street has a plumbing disaster already. The sewer and water here has been in desperate need of repair for years. A data center? That's just asking for a serious problem!
How will Allentown save the people who live here? Hundreds of people are going to be in serious trouble if that becomes a data center. Are there emergency resources ready to deal with this situation?
Data Centers are getting national, even global, attention. Which means all eyes of the press will be on Allentown PA as the residents suffer from the effects of a data center. Is the local government ready for that level of embarrassment and scrutiny?
Stop this BEFORE it happens.
I urge you to send a qualified engineer from the Office of Water & Sewer Compliance to verify the poor conditions. Check the records of the water main break at Wynnewood Greens Apartments less than five years ago. To be informed and prepared is vital! Does a professional from that office honestly believe this area could sustain the needs of residents, businesses, and a data center?
Has anyone looked into how the HUMIDITY in Pennsylvania is going to impact the machines in a data center?
https://ultrapureus.com/humidity-control-in-data-centers/
Water cooling is not synonymous with humidity tolerance when it comes to computer equipment. That warehouse was not built with climate control in mind. The building will require a massive overhaul to house a decent data center. The site isn't designed for such a purpose! Has anyone taken a thermal imaging device to 2401 W Emaus Avenue to see if the building is capable of properly retaining the cool air needed for the equipment? Especially the side with over 40 dock doors. Are they Energy-efficient sectional doors? The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimates that the cooling necessary to protect sensitive data center equipment can represent as much as 40 percent of its total utility costs. Has the building been tested for the International Energy Conservation Code?
I-3 zoning requires significant buffering from residential areas. Except there are apartments ACROSS THE STREET. There's no buffer there. It is a residential community. And Camelot For Children is across the street, and the KR Early Learning Center and The Lehigh School Academy of Early Education Inc are less than two miles away. There are retail establishments, including restaurants, next door. How is the planning and zoning commission allowing such a hazardous danger in this neighborhood?
I am one of the over 3,000 signers of the petition opposing any data center at this location. https://www.change.org/p/no-data-center-at-2401-w-emmaus-ave
- Jamie
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(Note: I'm an American. I'm not Chinese. The government of China is not paying me. NO ONE is paying me. I am aware of the problems with data centers. I worry for my own poor health, mainly. I am concerned for the health and wellbeing of children in the area. And the lives of all living beings in the area as well. That is why I raise concern.
Certain government officials are demanding the FBI investigates everyone opposed to data centers, saying we're anti American for choosing life over profits. 🙄 Obviously, they were voted in by money and have cash dollars as constituents. 🤦♀️ But, I'm uselessly adding this disclaimer anyway. Not that it'd matter.
Where's the dumpster 🔥 fire emoji? We need one!)
