Recent Spokane Headlines:
Spokane County leaders held unknown discussions with data center developer seeking massive facility on West Plains - By Thomas Clouse and Julia Pentasuglio The Spokesman-Review
A company proposing a massive West Plains data center has nearly zero history, spurring outcry from concerned residents by By Thomas Clouse The Spokesman-Review
Commissioner Al French on data centers: ‘Spokane County is not closed for business’ By Aaron Hedge Range Media
Why Spokane is Fighting Data Centers: Data centers are fueling the artificial intelligence boom — but communities across the country are debating who pays the cost. - https://youtu.be/tRmThKs5Gpo?si=MSpa-Wlr2PwNABIW
Spokane Council Delays data Center Moratorium Until at Least Next Week: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/jun/15/spokane-council-delays-data-center-moratorium-unti/
Avoiding AI: Kootenai County works towards total ban against data centers
7 Ways Data Centers Affect US Communities: This article discusses how the rapid expansion of data centers across the United States is reshaping local energy grids, water systems, and land use. It addresses the various environmental challenges and impacts that these facilities pose to local communities. https://www.wri.org/insights/us-data-center-growth-impacts
Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water, and Land Footprints: This piece explores the environmental and equity challenges posed by the rapid growth of AI infrastructure, focusing on its significant energy, water, and land use. https://unu.edu/inweh/collection/environmental-cost-of-AIs-Enrgy-Use-Carbon-water-and-land-footprints
Managing Data Centre Energy and Water Use in the AI Era: The article from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute reports on the substantial water usage of large data centers, with some requiring up to 5 million gallons each day. It emphasizes the need for sustainable practices in managing these resources. https://www.weforum.org/stories/artificial-intelligence/build-data-centres-future-sustainable/
Majority of US's New AI Datacenters to be Built on Drought-Prone Areas: A Guardian analysis finds that many new AI data centers are planned in some of the driest areas of the U.S., raising concerns over the water needed to power these facilities amidst growing public outcry. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/08/datacenter-ai-drought-water
Community Backlash to AI Data Centers Is Growing Across the U.S. https://time.com/article/2026/07/22/community-backlash-ai-data-centers/
Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting: Community Awareness Initiative | Your voice matters. Report. Engage. Protect. https://www.brockovichdatacenter.com
How to Stop a Data Centre: Tools for Community Resistance: https://commonslibrary.org/how-to-stop-a-data-centre-tools-for-community-resistance/
Data Center Map: https://www.datacentermap.com/usa/washington/spokane/tierpoint/
NO MORE.DATA CENTERS: Exposing the physical weight of the digital cloud. Every byte has a cost. Every server has a footprint. https://nomoredatacenters.org/
Website References:
Arnold, R. (2026, January 16). Email to Commissioner Chris Jordan regarding Avista's four-year rate plan. Avista Corporation. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RhGGendhG7p5uoWRUcUjy38HpnDn_BCh
Arnold, R. (2026, March 12). Email to Commissioners Amber Waldref and Mary Dombrowski regarding 2026 touchbase with Avista. Avista Corporation. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RhGGendhG7p5uoWRUcUjy38HpnDn_BCh
BBC News. (n.d.). “I can’t drink the water”: Residents near a US data centre alleging disrupted well water. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8gy7lv448o
Big Rock Data Center LLC (Apricus Energy Partners). (2026, February 16). Big Rock Data Center Project overview v.1 [Document]. (Uploaded file: Big Rock Data Center Overview v.1.docx)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RhGGendhG7p5uoWRUcUjy38HpnDn_BCh
Brown/Stop Baccara. (n.d.). Eighteen turbines: What the noise study leaves out. https://stopbaccara.com/noise.html
CIVIC / Commercial Brokers Association. (n.d.). State of Washington Prospector: Economic development, available sites, buildings, demographics, businesses and GIS mapping. https://choosewashingtonstate.com; https://properties.zoomprospector.com/WASHINGTON
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). (n.d.). Gas turbines and health. https://turbinemap.edf.org/
Environmental Health Project - "The Dangers of Data Centers"https://www.environmentalhealthproject.org/post/the-dangers-of-data-centers
European Environment Agency. (2025). Impacts of environmental noise on biodiversity (signal 1). https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/european-zero-pollution-dashboards/indicators/impacts-of-environmental-noise-on-biodiversity-signal-1
Han et al. "The Unpaid Toll: Quantifying the Public Health Impact of AI," Cornell University arixiv, December, 2024.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2026). Analyzing air pollution health economic risks from AI data centers. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/analyzing-air-pollution-health-economic-risks-from-ai-data-centers/
IQAir. (n.d.). Airway Heights air quality index. https://www.iqair.com/air-quality/usa/washington/airway-heights
Jariwala, V., et al. (2017). Noise pollution & human health: A review. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319329633_Noise_Pollution_Human_Health_A_Review
Kalispel Tribe. (2026, March 6). Kalispel Tribe Q&A — Apricus Energy Partners responses [Spreadsheet]. (Uploaded file: Kalispel_Apricus Q&A 03062026 (1).xlsx) https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RhGGendhG7p5uoWRUcUjy38HpnDn_BCh
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy (Land Lines). (n.d.). Data drain: The land and water impacts of the AI boom. https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/land-lines-magazine/articles/land-water-impacts-data-centers/
McCollum, M. (2026, April 7). Email to Al French and Viktoria Lyfar regarding Avista meetings. Avista Corporation. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RhGGendhG7p5uoWRUcUjy38HpnDn_BCh
MCE Data Center Fact Sheet & Harvard Analysis (2026) - Health damage estimates and light pollution effectshttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12273412/
National Wildlife Federation - "More data centers, more environmental problems?" (2025) https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2025/Fall/Conservation/AI-Data-Centers
NPS (National Park Service). (n.d.). Effects of noise on wildlife.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/effects_wildlife.htm
Power Magazine. (n.d.). Major noise sources and mitigation cost estimates for gas-fired power facilities. https://www.powermag.com/major-noise-sources-and-mitigation-cost-estimates-for-gas-fired-power-facilities/
Sierra Club Washington. (2019). Kalispel Tribe honored for their environmental leadership. https://www.sierraclub.org/washington/blog/2019/02/kalispel-tribe-honored-for-their-environmental-leadership
Space.com & Environmental Health Project - Light pollution impacts on wildlife and human health https://www.space.com/39787-light-pollution-problem-you-can-help.html
Spokane Aquifer Joint Board (City of Spokane Water Department). (n.d.). City of Spokane water department. https://www.spokaneaquifer.org/city-of-spokane-water-department/
Spokane City. (2024). City provides annual report on drinking water quality. https://my.spokanecity.org/news/releases/2024/06/07/city-provides-annual-report-on-drinking-water-quality/
Turbomachinery Magazine. (n.d.). Noise levels at energy plants. https://www.turbomachinerymag.com/view/noise-levels-at-energy-plants
Tom’s Hardware. (n.d.). Meta data center allegedly “muddies” Georgia town’s drinking water; investigation underway; EPA promises immediate investigation after congresswoman brings dirty jars of water to hearing. https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/big-tech/meta-data-center-allegedly-muddies-georgia-towns-drinking-water-investigation-underway-epa-promises-immediate-investigation-after-congresswoman-brings-dirty-jars-of-water-to-hearing
Wang, Peng et al. "E-waste challenges of generative artificial intelligence," Nature Computational Science no. 4 pp. 818–823,
October 28, 2024. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43588-024-00712-6
The Wildlife Society. (2019). Human noise pollution impacts all North American breeding birds. https://wildlife.org/human-noise-pollution-impacts-all-north-american-breeding-birds/
U.S. Department of Ecology (Washington State Dept. of Ecology). (n.d.). Data centers. https://ecology.wa.gov/air-climate/air-quality/data-centers
Washington State Department of Ecology. (n.d.). State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). https://ecology.wa.gov/regulations-permits/sepa/environmental-review
University of Tulsa. (n.d.). [News writeup on data centers / water stress]. https://utulsa.edu/news/data-centers-draining-resources-in-water-stressed-communities/
VCU News. (2026). Northern Virginia data center air pollution rivals power plant emissions. https://news.vcu.edu/article/northern-virginia-data-center-air-pollution-rivals-power-plant-emissions
WAC (Washington Administrative Code). (n.d.). WAC 173-60-040: Maximum permissible environmental noise levels. https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=173-60-040
Stanford Law / Clean Wisconsin. (2025). Health impacts of a natural gas power plant. https://law.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Clean-Wisconsin-Report-FINAL-4-10-25-1.pdf
S. (PWC VA / Washington Post via your link). (n.d.). Data center boom leads to noise disruptions in Loudoun County, Virginia. https://www.pwcva.gov/assets/2024-09/Data-Center%20Boom%20Leads%20to%20Noise%20Disruptions%20in%20Loudoun%20County%2C%20Virginia%20-%202.pdf
VCU News. (2026). Northern Virginia data center air pollution rivals power plant emissions. https://news.vcu.edu/article/northern-virginia-data-center-air-pollution-rivals-power-plant-emissions
KREM2. (2026). Spokane County considers moratorium on data centers; water contamination concerns. https://www.krem.com/article/news/politics/spokane-county-moratorium-data-centers-water-contamination-concerns/293-c17a1a00-5b3b-4e11-9e78-765568541f20
OPB. (2024). Do data centers fit with Washington’s clean energy goals?
https://www.opb.org/article/2024/08/06/washington-electric-utilities-power-carbon/
Kalispel Tribe. (2026). Kalispel Tribe Q&A—Apricus Energy Partners responses (uploaded document). https://www.kalispeltribe.com
Stop Baccara. (n.d.). Eighteen turbines: What the noise study leaves out. https://stopbaccara.com/noise.html
S. (Idaho Water Resources Research Institute). (2025). Why the Spokane ran low and what it means for the future. https://iwrri.uidaho.edu/our-gem-why-the-spokane-ran-low-and-what-it-means-for-the-future/
Spokane International Airport. (n.d.). Spokane International Airport master plan (Chapter 6). https://business.spokaneairports.net/core/files/business/uploads/files/Master%20Plan/9_%20Chapter%206.pdf