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Even though no official plans are known for potential data centers in Marshalltown, discussions about them have dominated meetings during the past month. The subject began in June, when Marshalltown City Council members began talking about placing a moratorium on introducing data centers to the community, and the conversations and number of interested people have grown since.
Beyond the flurry of social media data center posts and comments, the online activity now includes a Change.org petition, started by Angie Diaz six days ago.
The petition is titled "Say No to Data Centers in Marshalltown, Iowa -- Protect Our Community's Future," and the number of signatures more than doubled yesterday afternoon, ending with 113 when the T-R went to print last night. Diaz is glad to see the growing response.
"It’s been encouraging to witness people in our town dedicate time to understanding the issues, engaging in conversations, attending meetings and sharing their viewpoints," she said. "The response proves that residents of Marshalltown value their community and want to participate in these discussions."
Diaz would like the petition to collect as many Marshalltown signatures as possible. However, the number of signatures is not the only goal. She wants to raise awareness and encourage residents to engage in decisions which impact the city's future.
"We need our elected officials to demonstrate transparency with us," Diaz said.
As long as the data center discussions continue, the petition will remain on the website. Diaz has been sharing the link on social media to spread the word. She plans to share the petition and resident feedback with Mayor Mike Ladehoff, city council members and officials with the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce.
"My hope is that it demonstrates that our community says no to data centers," Diaz said. "If we commit our land, water, energy resources and infrastructure to a development that provides limited employment, we need to ask 'Is this truly the best future for the people who already live here?'"
She started the petition as it is an issue which is deeply personal for her family.
"My son faces significant health challenges and is very sensitive to environmental conditions," she said. "Changes in air quality, increased pollution, extreme heat and seasonal allergens worsen his respiratory symptoms and trigger severe skin flare-ups and nerve pain. As a parent, it's heartbreaking to see how these factors affect his quality of life. I've been doing my best to support a healthy environment for him."
Beyond the impact Diaz fears for her family, she said the conversation comes at a time when Iowa is already struggling with serious environmental problems. She referenced well-documented water quality issues and nitrate contamination in rivers, streams and water sources. Diaz said nitrates are linked to a higher risk of cancer and the state already has a quickly increasing rate of new cancer cases. All of the issues are interconnected and should concern everyone.
"We deserve a voice in decisions that will have long-term impacts on our community and I think it's important that those impacts are fully understood before a project moves forward," she said. "My goal is to encourage transparency, public engagement and safe thoughtful planning. Even with these reports being released on Iowa's contaminated water and significant rise in cancer rates, our elected officials think bringing in a data center would be good for the town? Good for who?"
The lack of data center confirmation or planning has not impacted the passion Marshalltown residents have shown for the matter. Diaz said they want to be proactive.
"Once a project reaches the final approval stages, it can be much harder for the public to influence the outcome," she said. "People just want their questions answered by our leaders and the questions we are asking are reasonable – how much water usage, what will the energy demand be, what should we expect on the long-term economic benefits and how a project like this would fit into Marshalltown's vision for the future?"
Diaz encouraged residents to learn about data centers by reviewing information from multiple sources, attending city council meetings and asking questions of elected officials.
"Many of us understand the daily struggles that many people in Marshalltown face," she said. "We know what it is like for families living paycheck to paycheck, having to choose between paying bills, expensive childcare costs, keeping up with the rising cost of groceries, managing medical expenses and just trying to create a stable future. We see firsthand the hard work our community put in everyday just to get by. This is exactly why our community deserves thoughtful growth. Growth that helps families afford to live here. Growth that supports our children. Growth that protects our resources. Growth that makes Marshalltown stronger for future generations. Our elected officials need to be considerate of whether those costs could eventually impact residents through utility rates, taxes or other expenses."
PETITION INFO
To access Angie Diaz's anti-data center petition, go to Change.org: change.org/p/say-no-to-data-centers-in-marshalltown-iowa-protect-our-community-s-future?source_location=local_page&pt=AVBldGl0aW9uAGumSh0AAAAAamoeZPQL6GszODkzMDAzOQ%3D%3D.
Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.