New Threats Made To Limerick Data Center Projects, Hearings Moved To Smaller Venue

LIMERICK, PA — A series of threats regarding data center proposals has sparked security concerns in Limerick Township, leading officials to move all future hearings on related cases to the township's municipal building.

The nature of the threats is not clear. The township municipal building is significantly smaller than the Spring-Ford High School Auditorium where previous events were held, leading some data center opponents to claim the move is strictly to limit the number of attendees and critics at future meetings.

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"Based on recent online threats received regarding the proposed Data Center projects, a security risk-assessment has taken place," Limerick Township shared in a notice Friday morning.

Related: Enormous Community Turnout Against Pennhurst Data Center At Latest Tense Hearing

New safety protocols will also be in place at the meeting.

"In an abundance of caution, Limerick Township has determined that to best handle security concerns, all Data Center Conditional Use Hearings and all future Board of Supervisors’ Public Meetings will all take place at the Limerick Township Municipal Building and increased security measures will be implemented," they added.

The next conditional use hearing on a data center project is scheduled for May 11. The board of supervisors will also have their regular meeting on May 5.

It's the second instance of threats and safety issues brought up over data center proposals in the Limerick area this week. A fundraiser put together by the group Prevent Limerick Data Center Development was canceled by MaGerk's Pub after complaints by "a small but vocal number of pro data center supporters" led to security concerns.

See also: Fundraiser To Stop Data Centers In Limerick Canceled Over 'Significant Safety Concerns'

Similarly undefined security issues also led to the cancelation of a data center event at Montgomery County Community College in March.

Several data centers have been proposed around the Limerick and East Vincent Township areas and have sparked significant community backlash from both sides of the political spectrum. Concerns range from lack of accountability, future costs, noise and air pollution, impacts of water availability and cost, and other environmental and community harms.

Elected officials and advocacy groups have been sharply critical of the big tech corporations behind the projects, who they say seek to pass the cost of increased energy usage off to local ratepayers, and who almost never identify themselves.