Roseanne Weinrich is worried that allowing data centers to take root in Schuylkill County will deplete and pollute water supplies, increase energy costs and subject residents to relentless noise.

On Wednesday, Weinrich, a retired science teacher who lives in Ashland, asked county commissioners to sign a petition asking state and local elected officials to impose a moratorium on the construction of new data centers until studies have been done to ensure the safety and well-being of people who live nearby.

“If data centers don’t cause reported harm to surrounding communities, then they should welcome independent studies proving that claim,” she said.

But Commissioners Chairman Larry L. Padora believes the centers would, if handled correctly, cause no harm and bring an abundance of tax revenue to the county.

Three centers, he said, could offset any county tax increases for eight to 10 years.

Neither he nor commissioners Gary J. Hess and Barron L. Hetherington would say whether they would sign the petition.

Weinrich said residents are being kept out of the loop about when and where the centers would be built.

Amazon Web Services is in the process of planning a 2.5-million-square-foot data center on 346 acres along Lofty Road in Kline Township, near I-81 and Route 309.

Another is rumored to be being considered for the Highridge Industrial Park, which straddles Butler and Foster townships.

Weinrich pointed what she described as an “alarming increase” in the numbers of such centers being proposed and built in the state.

“This is concerning because there has been little public input regarding these centers until permits are approved,” she said. “Permits are being fast tracked, and discussions held between elected officials and data center companies become nondisclosure agreements. The public has been purposely shut out of the process, leading many residents to believe there must be something to hide.”

She said many of the centers are being proposed in areas where people are already struggling with low incomes, scarce jobs and limited educational opportunities.

They “have no means to take on large corporate entities whose main goal is profit over people. It’s especially insulting that we are being shielded from the truth,” Weinrich said. “There is no doubt that Schuylkill County could use more high paying jobs, but a hyper scale data center is not the answer.”

Padora disagreed.

He said the centers could provide jobs and tax revenue. But the key is the “right location.”

“We have an abundance of coal land. We don’t want to see them on pristine farmland,” he said. “We don’t want to see them next to residential areas.

“But if they don’t come here, they’re going to go somewhere else,” Padora said.

“We’ve done research on it. There are some companies interested in coming to Schuylkill,” he said, referring to the one planned for Kline Township and the possibility of one in the Highridge park.

“From what we’re getting from them, they use the water system now. They don’t use the amount of water they have.

He mentioned federal initiatives that data centers would be required to use their own power.

“So as long as those stipulations are made and they’re in the right locations, they are a benefit,” Padora said.

“Three data centers in Schuylkill County would mean probably you won’t have a tax increase for eight to 10 years, just off of the revenue that they would generate.

“To generate that type of tax revenue, you would have to build on half your farm lands, residential properties, you can take all your farm lands and build homes.

“So we’re not saying no to the idea. We want to know where they’re going to go, how they’re going to provide electricity, how they’re getting the lines there,” he said.

Padora said PPL is expanding its lines in the county, and “that’s one of the reasons some data centers are interested to be here, because PPL is expanding their infrastructure in Schuylkill County and putting in more substations,” he said.

Weinrich stood firm.

“We the people are asking our state and local officials to support an immediate statewide moratorium on data centers until studies are completed investigating potential personal and environmental harm,” she said.