Erin Brockovich takes aim at data center secrecy
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is campaigning for greater transparency in data center development. She highlights a lack of public awareness and communication from developers about these projects and their community impact.
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is now focusing on the lack of transparency in data center construction and the effects these centers have on local communities. She has launched a website featuring a map of U.S. data centers, which is regularly updated with community input. This initiative follows her historical legal battles, famously dramatized in film.
Brockovich’s new project was spurred by an overwhelming response to her call for data center-related issues. She received close to 4,000 submissions within a month, with "transparency" being the most frequently cited concern, surpassing issues like noise, water consumption, and utility costs.
Brockovich clarifies that her stance is not a blanket opposition to data centers or AI. Instead, she is challenging a pattern of non-disclosure: developers securing permits before public announcements, unreturned calls, and local officials signing non-disclosure agreements before informing their communities about proposed projects.
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