Michael Sauers
Respectfully, I know what I’m talking about because I have been part of successful efforts that stopped behemoth, hyper scale projects. As a member of Greenfire Coalition (Newspaper.com), I participated in stopping a huge landfill proposed for Foster Township in Luzerne County. This proposal was made by Tri-County Sanitation, a partnership between Pagnotti Enterprises and Beltrami Enterprises, Inc. in 1987. In 1989, as part of the same Greenfire Coalition, we stopped New Jersey Steel from locating in Humboldt Industrial Park near Hazleton. Between 2014 and 2021, as a member of Save Carbon County, I participated in defeating the PennEast Fracking Pipeline. Most recently, 2024, I participated in stopping Texas-based Encina’s chemical recycling plant from locating along the banks of the Susquehanna River in Northumberland County. In between all of these there have been scores of other community altering proposals that I fought.
Secondly, most industrial development projects, from small to hyper-scale, come down to the community via industrial development organizations. Encina was supported by DRIVE, a Northumberland County government-funded economic development organization. New Jersey Steel was supported by CAN DO, a greater Hazleton economic development organization. These organizations, which are made up of small groups of individuals, use a TOP DOWN approach that keeps communities in the dark until it is absolutely necessary to shine the light of day on them. 99% of community members do not participate in planning the economic development of their communities and economic development plans are never placed on the ballot. NEVER! Communities, upon learning about proposals, wind up fighting uphill battles for which they are under-resourced and playing defense. Believe me, this is all by design and it should be called out. Additionally, it should anger and motivate you.
So, how do we defeat data centers and other hyper-scale, behemoth development plans? We use/amend existing constitutional rights, demand changes in laws, regulations, codes, timelines, etc. and, most importantly, people power. The promoters of these projects are in it to win and a fight fire with fire approach must be used.
Immediately, file a class action suit citing Article 1, Section 27 of the PA Constitution. This equal rights amendment guarantees citizens the right to clean air, pure water and the preservation of natural, scenic, historic and aesthetic environmental values. The core principals of individual rights, common property and the Commonwealth as Trustee must be satisfied as well as the Government’s duties to protect these rights. This part of the PA Constitution packs a punch and could end hyper-scale, behemoth data center development. It is very specific and we can see how data centers, etc. run counter to it.
Next, DEMAND that all community economic development, including data centers, be based on broad community consensus and placed on the ballot for citizens to approve or disapprove. Community economic development affects us, our children and our grandchildren, so community approval is front and center.
Then, DEMAND that all elected/appointed officials clearly and emphatically state their positions on data centers. Are they with us or against us? If they refuse or are against the communities’ wishes, VOTE THEM OUT!
Finally, DEMAND that all elected state representatives, including Governor Shapiro change the PA Municipalities Planning Code so that all municipalities have an absolute power to say NO to any and all economic development schemes. Some of the necessary steps can be quickly done in a special legislative session including a complete rewrite or repeal of the “exclusionary zoning” principals embedded in the MPC and/or creating strict environmental or utility thresholds. Ultimately, the voters of PA need to pass a constitutional amendment that explicitly subordinates private property development rights to local community environmental or economic self-determination. In other words, the right and power to say NO! This sounds like a lot but it is not and it is necessary to get control of our futures. If they do not comply, VOTE THEM OUT!
It can be done. If we want to determine our future, it must be done.