rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/petition/stopverrus?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-petition-area-stopverrus' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Salem DSA https://actionnetwork.org/groups/salem-or-dsa https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/petitions/photos/000/788/689/normal/b9874229-00ad-4ae6-8dc6-ec4bce1fe761-VIEW01NIGHT85.jpg We, the undersigned people of Salem, say NO to the AI Data Center proposed by Verrus in Southeast Salem. On July 14th, our city manager revealed that under the cover of secrecy (a Non-Disclosure Agreement), the City of Salem had begun talks with Verrus about developing a 3-campus data center at Salem's Mill Creek Corporate Center (Turner Road and Deer Park Drive SE). These talks began without the awareness and input of Salem's working class, the ones who will drink its poisoned water and breath its toxic air. Data Center Disasters The evidence from across the country is clear: data centers wreak havoc on our environment. Data centers consume as much as 4.5 MILLION gallons of water per DAY. Data centers create "heat islands," raising temperatures by as much as 16 DEGREES in surrounding areas. Data centers create "forever" chemicals" that poison our food and water. The Myth of "Economic Growth" Verrus is enticing the City of Salem with promises of a $5.1 billion investment, new jobs, and lower consumer costs. But Salem's working-class see past this farce: Electricity rates are surging for residents despite the proliferation of data centers. Data centers pay crumbs per Kilowatt-hour compared to residents. The jobs "created" by data centers are temporary; virtually no one actually works at these centers once they are built. Our neighbors in Hillsboro have shown us what happens when we invest in data centers. Hillsboro public schools lost $128 MILLION to data center tax incentives, only to have less than 20 people permanently hired in certain facilities. Our Demands We refuse to let Verrus make off like a bandit while leaving working people to pick up the tab. We refuse to subsidize Verrus' greed and corporate profits through higher energy rates and the loss of essential services like our schools and libraries. And we refuse to let Verrus poison our families. We DEMAND that the City of Salem stop the Oak Line at Mill Creek project and issue a citywide moratorium on data center development. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stopverrus