WALKER COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF)- Data centers continue to be a hot button topic all around the Tennessee Valley.
Hamilton County plans to vote on a 12 month moratorium next week, and Bradley County recently passed zoning regulations to restrict them.
Another county is tackling that issue.
The Walker County Board of Commissioners has passed a 30 day moratorium, with plans to extend it to a six month period through February 20-27.
Walker County Chairwoman Angie Teems says that they legally have to set up their moratorium like this to comply with state law.
She says these talks began after some inquiries.
Teems said, “Some have asked, but we don’t know who they were because those requests for information comes in from a broker or something like that, and they won’t be the name of the business.”
Commissioners like Brian Hart added that they’ve been researching the issue due to developments around the region.
Hart said, “We are aware that there are a lot of around us. We are aware that they are buying a huge chunks of ag land in the whole state and we want to make sure that doesn’t happen here.”
However, some wonder if seven months is enough time to study the various environmental concerns around data centers.
Resident Don Van Harness said, “I’m not sure there’s enough time to really examine all of the ins and outs, the environmentals, the water, mechanics, noise, pollution, ozone pollution, etc. etc. I wish you folks would consider a little bit more time perhaps?”
There will be public meetings scheduled at a later date on this topic.
