PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — As society becomes more dependent on technology and the internet, more data is being processed than ever before. In order to keep websites, apps and search engines running 24/7 companies have become more reliant on data centers throughout the country.
However, residents in one Virginia county are fighting back against Amazon's data centers. But what are these digital gateways used for and why are some people and organizations so against them?
WHAT IS A DATA CENTER?
Data centers are physical infrastructures that house complex computer systems that provide shared access to processed information. When people refer to “the cloud” that information is usually stored at a data center. These centers are what allow companies such as Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Google to run programs all day and night.
These data centers, or digital pathways, are often large buildings with rows of machines used to store, process or deliver data.
THE BATTLE IN PRINCE WILLIAM CO.
For nearly two years, residents in Prince William County have been fighting over a proposal to bring data centers to a portion of Gainesville, near more than 200 homes. Many homeowners have opposed the “Digital Gateway” citing concerns over impacts on the environment, noise levels and access to power.
"It is not environmentally progressive to destroy your watershed or your hallowed ground," said Elena Schlossberg at a Board of County Supervisors meeting earlier this month. She's part of the Coalition to Protect Prince William County.
At the meeting, more than 240 people signed up to speak in person, while another 137 signed up online to speak. In the end, despite concerns from residents, the planning commission approved the project to move forward in September.
The plan would transform more than 2,100 acres of land along Pageland Avenue to fit 27 million square feet of data centers.
SOUND LEVELS & HEALTH ISSUES
Prince William County is not the first area to look into inviting data centers to help boost the economy through tax revenue. One constant complaint from residents in other areas near data centers is sound.
Due to cooling fans needed to keep the servers from overheating, residents near an Amazon data center in Manassas say the constant humming sound is so annoying it has caused some people to move.
Dale Browne is the president of the Greater Oaks Homeowners Association. He said he started receiving complaints regarding anxiety and migraines from the constant sound from the Amazon data center in April.
A noise ordinance in Prince William County limits daytime noise in residential areas to 60 decibels and 55 decibels at night.
“We’ve been taking measurements and over the last three months of daily measurements we’ve had, I would say 60% of the time it exceeds ordinance levels for the county,” Browne said.
However, Browne claims there is an exemption to the nightside limit that says heating and cooling systems are exempt.
“Amazon has claimed that’s a cooling system, so basically there’s no ordinance protecting us at night at this time,” he said.
According to Browne, there are more than 400 exhaust fans on the roof of the three Amazon buildings all running at the time same time. He believes the sound will only get worse as more buildings are erected.
Brown says Amazon is working with the homeowners association to try to help fix the issues and have added shrouds to the fans to help dampen some of the sounds as a temporary solution. Unfortunately, most of the solutions have lengthy wait times, leaving residents in the area to deal with the sound in the meantime.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
As society becomes more dependent on the internet and technology for daily tasks, the need for more servers and data grows. While data centers can help alleviate network stress, the power needed to run these servers 24/7 can put stress on the environment.
Reporting from Deutsche Welle, a German international broadcasting company, shows experts estimate data centers account for 1% of all global electricity usage.
Large quantities of water are needed to help make sure data centers run efficiently. A 2015 study claims electricity generation is the second largest water consumer. While water is used to help keep the machines within data centers cool, it is also used to treat wastewater discharged by data centers.
"We’re concerned about water, quality and damage that could happen and further to some of the really fragile ecosystems in the park," said Ed Stierli, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Director National Parks Conservation Association.
RELATED: 'We have everything the data centers need' | Prince William County Board approves PW Digital Gateway
THE EFFECT ON NATIONAL LANDMARKS
In January, filmmaker Ken Burns urged Prince William County officials to oppose the Digital Gateway project next to Manassas National Battlefield Park. In a letter to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, Burns referenced a quote from a superintendent calling the proposal “the single greatest threat to Manassas National Battlefield Park in nearly three decades.”
Burns later writes that he can attest to how susceptible American heritage can be to the ravages of progress.
“I fear the devastating impact the development of up to 2,133 acres of data centers will have on this hallowed ground,” Burns wrote.
RELATED: Virginia Department of Forestry, Ken Burns raise concerns over proposal for new data centers
PRO DATA CENTERS
Not everyone who lives in Prince William County is against data centers. Some support the idea and the tax revenue the businesses may add to the county.
Earlier this month, Prince William Co. Resident MaryAnn Ghadban spoke with WUSA9 about why she supports the data center proposal. She said she and dozens of her neighbors are prepared to sell their homes to make room for the Digital Gateway buildings. She says the properties already have to deal with two football fields, massive transmission lines and a cut-through road with a ton of truck traffic, making it no longer conducive to residential living.
"We have everything the data centers need. We have the power and the high-speed fiber. It was the logical location to change our land use and become a data center corridor," said Ghadban.
She says it's a win-win for the county and the landowners and called it a "pathway to [the] middle class for Prince William County."
Other supporters say it'll boost the economy through tax revenue. Prince William County Public School Chairman At-Large Dr. Babur Lateef has said schools systems gain up to $50 million a year in revenue from existing data centers
"Think about all the revenue Prince William County is going to collect and how we'll be able to prosper," said Dale City resident David Woofin.
Despite concerns from opponents, the planning commission approved moving the plan forward in September.
AMAZON INVESTMENT
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday that Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to invest $35 billion by 2040 to establish multiple data center campuses across the commonwealth.
The commonwealth says Amazon is among the largest private-sector employers in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
"AWS has a significant presence in Virginia, and we are excited that AWS has chosen to continue their growth and expand their footprint across the Commonwealth," Youngkin said. "Virginia will continue to encourage the development of this new generation of data center campuses across multiple regions of the Commonwealth. These areas offer robust utility infrastructure, lower costs, great livability, and highly educated workforces and will benefit from the associated economic development and increased tax base, assisting the schools and providing services to the community."
Troy Pope contributed to this report.