Proposed Data Center in Pulaski Sparks Controversy and Petition
By: Keiko Klisiewecz
Pulaski, Virginia, is a beautiful area of Appalachia, known for its outdoor enthusiasts who take advantage of the landscape in an ethical way but something is threatening that peace: a data center.
Data centers are “a secure, physical facility that houses IT infrastructure,” such as servers and other computer tech. Lately, they are used to power generative AI, a highly debated and ethically dilemma-riddled means of doing tasks, creating art, documents, and more. Residents don’t want this to be a part of their community, and one member has spoken up and started a Petition against the proposed data center.
Tim Vela is a resident of Pulaski. He shared with us his love for Southern Virginia after previously being a resident of Austin, Texas. He enjoyed the peace and quiet and the landscape as compared to Texas. Vela is the voice of the petition against the proposed data center, a voice for the people.
When asked if he would be open to working with data centers, he said “In the current state of affairs, I don’t think it’s a wise choice to work with data centers, first because there are no real ramifications for infringing on local regulations and citizen rights.” Vela hopes to local, state, and even federal regulations, for data centers but he shares that he doesn’t see it happening anytime soon.
Another factor is the environmental impacts that concern residents like Vela. What would this data center do to our community? On the change.org petition site, he mentioned the amount of water these data centers can use: “3-5 million gallons per day.” When answering our interview questions, he also shared his personal concerns, stating that “I don’t want to see that be destroyed by a large concrete slabbed building with a vibration that you can feel for miles around, using resources like it owns the place.” And his concerns are valid. Southern Virginia is such a beautiful place, and it is fair not to want to see it destroyed by these big tech companies.
Another issue is the lack of transparency these communities are receiving; nobody is talking to them regarding this issue they are making the decisions without input from the community. Vela shared with us his personal frustrations, which I am sure others share, regarding how the information came out to the public.
“I think the county failed initially in this conversation about a possible data center coming to Pulaski County. It took a journalist going in search of the information to learn about the prospect before the county officials came out and made statements on the fact that they were in pursuit of a data center for the NRV Commerce Park.”
So there’s a lot of secrecy here about the proposed data centers, almost as if officials knew there would be backlash. So what does the community propose? Well, they want the county to pursue a more environmentally friendly and ethical way of gaining income. “We request that our local government explores more sustainable alternatives to create growth within the county. To ensure that natural spaces are preserved and remain a place where humans and wildlife coexist. And most importantly, the opinion of our community is involved in the decision-making process.” Vela states in his petition.
Next, what can you do? Firstly, you can sign the petition against the data center in Pulaski to support the cause. You can also check the petition site for related updates on the cause. Another thing you can do is speak up and speak out against these data centers and the potential consequences they will have. If you live in Pulaski, or even if you don’t, feel free to reach out to the local officials and let them know your distaste.
Don’t be afraid to be loud or speak the truth about the effects these data centers have; it really does make all the difference in these communities.
