COMMUNITY SIGN ON LETTER
We, residents and community leaders, of Landover and Prince George’s County, demand that the construction of a hyperscale data center in Landover be canceled now! We urge those in power to protect the dignity and wellbeing of the residents that make this County so lucrative and powerful. We are against the construction of a hyperscale data center for the following reasons:
❌ Landover is already an environmentally degraded area. We are in the top 10% of communities negatively impacted by cumulative environmental threats in Maryland.
🏭 Increased air pollution: Fossil-fueled power plants and diesel backup generators that power data centers emit pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter. They increase rates of respiratory diseases and cardiovascular conditions, and elevate cancer risk in nearby communities.
🔊 Increased noise pollution: Data centers generate significant noise pollution primarily from backup diesel generators and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems.
💧 Increased water use: Data centers use large amounts of water to cool their servers. Hyperscale data centers can use up to 5 million gallons per day, or about 1.8 billion gallons annually. This is enough water for a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people.This could lead to increased water strain and higher water bills in our region.
⚡ Increased electricity bills: Data centers need a lot of electricity to operate. The electricity used to operate a hyperscale data center could accommodate electricity for 500,000 homes. This sharp rise in demand impacts electricity markets and consumer bills, leading to higher power plant and grid infrastructure costs.
💼 Low permanent job creation: Data centers are highly automated and require a small workforce for daily operations. One example of many is a Microsoft data center in Illinois which created only 20 permanent jobs despite receiving over $38 million in tax breaks and promising to create more.
⛔ Failure to generate meaningful tax revenue: Due to recent bills passed by the state and PG County respectively, data centers are exempt from both state sales tax and local personal property tax, unlike small business owners. Once construction is complete, data centers will bring net nothing in tax revenue, especially when taxpayer cost to manage water and electrical infrastructure is factored in.
We demand that the construction of a hyperscale data center in Landover be canceled now! It is imperative that those in power prioritize the health, wellbeing, and livelihoods of the residents. We stand strong as a community against this data center and will use our voices to ensure this project does not move forward. We are not a dumping ground for a project that seeks to only line the pockets of billionaires and corporations while we pay the price. We refuse to pay the bill for our own economic impoverishment.
Signed,
Advocacy Groups
Party for Socialism and Liberation
Indivisible Prince George's County
ANSWER Coalition
Greenbelt Resistance Network
Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek
Greenbelt Climate Action Network
Juventud Unida por la Independencia DMV
Mid-Atlantic Region of The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP Mid-Atlantic)
Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVa)
Metro DC DSA
Student Groups
17 for Peace and Justice
University of Maryland, College Park NAACP
UnLocked Project
Former/Elected Officials
Dr. Noah Waters, Former Mayor of the Town of Eagle Harbor
Councilmember Briana Urbina, City of New Carrollton
Councilmember Frankie Santos Fritz, City of Greenbelt
Commissioner Anthony Tilghman, City of District Heights (Ward 1)
Councilmember Carrol McBryde, Town of Bladensburg (Ward 2)
Council President Derek Curtis II, City of Glenarden
Councilmember Sophia Emeritz, Town of Colmar Manor
Mayor Monica Casañas, Town of Colmar Manor
Mayor Celina Benitez, City of Mount Rainier
Councilmember Robin Jones, City of Glenarden
Senator Joanne Benson, Maryland State Senate
Councilmember Kizzie Scott, City of Seat Pleasant
Councilmember Joseph Hourclé, Town of Upper Marlboro
Delegate Derrick Coley, Maryland House of Delegates, 24th District
Neighborhood Associations
Tantallon North Area Civic Association
Woodlawn Community Association, Inc.
Central Coalition
Professional Associations
DC Association of Black Psychologists, Inc.
Religious Institutions
Delaware-Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Small Businesses
Inspired Events by Christina, LLC
BLKOUT, LLC
JD Global Strategies
Little Red Bird Botanicals
Jennifer Brennan Wellness
Maryland Meadworks
Kimberly Shines Media
Owl's Nest Farm
Life in Twenty-Twenty
Other
Joe's Movement Emporium and Creative Suitland Arts Center