Pine Island Data Center: New State Review Ordered in Legal Settlement
Google and Ryan Companies will resubmit environmental documents after settling a lawsuit filed by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.
By Marco Whitaker ·
Minnesota regulators will conduct a fresh environmental review of a proposed data center in Pine Island following a legal settlement announced Wednesday. The agreement resolves a dispute between the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) and the project developers, Google and Ryan Companies.
The MCEA filed the original lawsuit in October of last year. The group argued that the initial environmental review lacked the specific analysis required by law to evaluate the project's potential impacts.
Under the settlement terms, the MCEA will dismiss the case. In return, Google and Ryan Companies must complete a new Environmental Assessment Worksheet and submit it to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The agency will then analyze how the facility would affect local water resources, energy use, noise levels, and light pollution.
Kathryn Hoffman, CEO of the MCEA, stated in a statement that the settlement restores transparency to the process. She said the new review provides residents with critical information about how the proposal stands to impact their community and shared natural resources.
After the MPCA concludes its study, Google and Ryan Companies have agreed to develop a plan to mitigate the identified effects. Residents, government agencies, and other Minnesotans will then have 60 days to comment on the project.
The MCEA said it will continue to monitor the process as new information is released.
