The controversial East Whiteland data center project has been issued its second stop-work order
The stoppage comes from the township needing "clear documentation" about water usage. The project, built on a Superfund site, has drawn ire from residents.
The developers of a controversial 1.5 million-square-foot data center have again been ordered by East Whiteland Township officials to stop work, this time over a lack of “clear documentation” showing the project will have sufficient water to operate the facility.
The stop work order, issued Wednesday, tells the developers to “immediately cease work” on preliminary construction, such as concrete pads, footings, and a control house that has been partially completed.
It is the second time in recent months that the township has told the developers to halt work at the Foote Mineral Co. Superfund site. In July, township officials had directed the developers to stop any work that moved earth while the township sought “greater clarity” on the soil and health and safety plans. The order came amid concerns from residents that the Superfund site had not been sufficiently remediated. Work resumed by the end of the month.
Under the latest stoppage order, work at the proposed data center site will not restart until developers Green Fig LLC and Sentinel Data Centers provide the township with confirmation from Aqua, the water utility company, that “sufficient water is available and committed to this project and the Developer’s commitment to move forward with ensuring sufficient water is brought to site.”
A representative for the developers did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment on whether they have the documentation needed.
Earlier this month, through a Right-to-Know request, residents surfaced a 2024 letter from Aqua telling the developers: “Unfortunately, Aqua does not have the capacity to meet the peak demand … as requested.” The letter recommends the developers “evaluate the construction of a storage tank on your site to provide peak flow requirements if needed.”
The letter arose at an Aug. 19 board of supervisors meeting, with community members pressing the township to stop construction and revoke permits.
The developers have tried, through several avenues, to alter the final design of the project that was originally approved in 2024 by moving away from using millions of gallons of water a day to cool the data center and instead installing air chillers.
An attempt to update the plan earlier this year drew staunch opposition from residents, who turned up to protest the project, in one case shutting down the meeting. The developers tried to appease the community with an offer to downsize the project, but abandoned the updated proposal, saying they would instead build the 2024 approved plan after the township did not act fast enough.
They returned to the township in July, however, again seeking to alter how the building is cooled, emphasizing that it would save water.
Along with the proposed changes, the developers again offered to radically downsize the footprint of the complex, from 1.5 million square feet with two data center buildings roughly 772,000 square feet each to a total of 536,000 square feet. That offer came in response to a request made by a township official the day prior to the public meeting, according to emails obtained by The Inquirer.
The township’s three elected officials tabled making a decision then and still have not voted on the proposed changes. They next meet on Sept. 9.
Meanwhile, in an Aug. 3 email obtained by The Inquirer, a representative for the developers recanted the offer to resize the data center, telling the township that due to the “delay occasioned” by the tabling, “the Applicant is no longer able to facilitate further modifications … regarding building size.”
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