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 to stop work by East Whiteland Township officials, this time over a lack of “clear documentation” that shows 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’s the second time in recent months that the township has directed the developers to halt work at the Foote Mineral Co. Superfund site. In July, township officials had directed the developer 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 was not sufficiently remediated. Work resumed by the end of the month.
Under the latest stoppage, work at the proposed data center site won’t begin again 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 developer did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment on whether they have the documentation needed.
Residents earlier this month surfaced a 2024 letter from Aqua through a Right-to-Know request 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.
It comes as 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 developer tried to appease the community with an offer to downsize the project, but abandoned the updated proposal, saying it would instead build the 2024 approved plan after the township didn’t 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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