DEKALB RESIDENTS DO NOT WANT LARGE-SCALE, HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS OR DATA CENTERS CAMPUSES IN DEKALB COUNTY!

DEKALB COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE CEO

On TUESDAY JUNE 23rd at 8:30 a.m., the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners (BOC) will vote on a new zoning law to allow the development of data centers.

The Moratorium also expires on June 23rd, so after that the floodgates could open.

> COME TO THE MEETING at 178 Sams Street, Decatur 30030 to show your opposition!

> TELL OUR COMMISSIONERS TO VOTE NO on the current version of the regulations that allow major, large-scale, hyperscale data centers and data center campuses in DeKalb. WE NEED REAL PROTECTIONS FOR OUR CITIZENS!

> SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION, call and email the commissioners, and make it clear that you will not accept the proposed text amendment at the cost of our community's health and well-being.

WE OPPOSE THE CURRENT DRAFT BECAUSE IT DOES NOT MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE.

The proposed ordinance does NOT:

  • Protect DeKalb’s already strained water system

  • Prevent contamination from chemically treated wastewater

  • Limit the size of developments to prevent large-scale data center campuses from coming to DeKalb

  • Provide a safe distance from residential neighborhoods, communities and between data centers

  • Require meaningful community input

  • Ensure enforceable oversight or accountability

What good are regulations if there is no way to enforce them?

What DeKalb Residents DEMAND:

We need a stronger, safer, enforceable ordinance that includes:

  1. Limits on size to eliminate large-scale, hyperscale data centers and campuses

  2. Increased buffer zones to protect residential communities; 500 FEET IS NOT ENOUGH

  3. Safe disposal requirements for chemically contaminated wastewater

  4. Mandatory Special Land Use Permits (SLUPs) for all data centers — guaranteeing community input

  5. Pre-development health & environmental impact studies

  6. A decommission surety bond so taxpayers aren’t left with cleanup costs

  7. A real enforcement and compliance plan — not empty promises

Why This Matters NOW:

  • AI-driven data center expansion is accelerating statewide.

  • Long-term job creation is minimal.

  • Georgia residents are projected to lose $2.5 billion in tax revenue to data-center tax breaks in 2027.
  • These facilities consume enormous amounts of water and power, create heat islands, and can emit harmful infrasound or low-frequency vibrations you may not hear, and other pollutants you may not see, but your body can feel, and that can affect people’s health.

What other harms of large-scale data center campuses will we discover after it's too late?

To: DEKALB COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE CEO
From: [Your Name]

TO: Chakira Johnson (District4), Presiding Officer [chakira@dekalbcountyga.gov]
LaDena Bolton (District 7), Deputy Presiding Officer [district7@dekalbcountyga.gov]
Ted Terry (District 6) [ted@dekalbcountyga.gov]
Mereda Davis Johnson (District 5) [mdjohnson@dekalbcountyga.gov]
Nicole Massiah (District 3) [district3@dekalbcountyga.gov]
Michelle Long-Spears (District 2) [district2@dekalbcountyga.gov]
Robert Patrick (District 1) [district1@dekalbcountyga.gov]

cc: Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, Chief Executive Officer [lcjohnson@dekalbcountyga.gov]

Dear DeKalb County Commissioners and the CEO,

The current text amendment does not provide adequate protection for public health, environmental safety, or our already overburdened water system.

DeKalb’s water infrastructure is in urgent need of repair and expansion, and any ordinance governing data centers must reflect that reality.

We urge the Board of Commissioners adopt a stronger ordinance that mandates:

(1) Only smaller single structure data centers as far away as possible, but no less than one mile, from residential neighborhoods, schools, day care centers, hospitals, and wherever there are other vulnerable populations to reduce impacts on communities

(2) Only smaller standalone data centers that are no less than a mile apart from each other to minimize strain on water and power usage

(3) A pre-development health and environmental impact study for each proposed development

(4) A Special land use permit (SLUP) for every proposed development

(5) Strict regulations on safe disposal of contaminated water

(6) A clear, enforceable compliance and oversight plan with effective penalties and accountability

(7) A decommission surety bond for restoration of the site when data center facilities are no longer in use

(8) Public access to all studies, water and power usage estimates, and other pertinent information

Without these protections, the ordinance fails to safeguard DeKalb residents, our environment, and our long-term access to clean, reliable water.

What we safeguard today is what our families will inherit tomorrow. Please protect what cannot be replaced.

Sincerely,