Friends of Don Sullivan

Friends of Don Sullivan . . . No Data Centers In Burrillville . . .
My fellow Burrillvillians, I write to you not only as a
town council candidate but as a town resident. Like
many of you, I chose Burrillville as my forever home
due to the rural character, the small town feel and
the green natural spaces. I am deeply concerned
that this could all be in jeopardy.
Data centers have become the new scourge of this
country. They are speculative builds. These centers
are a huge draw on water and energy to operate.
Most data centers run off fossil fuels. Fossil fuels
mean air pollution, environmental pollution and
noise pollution. Long term health risks for those living
in the vicinity of a data center include respiratory
issues, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, stroke,
cognitive issues as well as reproductive problems.
We already have clean water issues in this town.
It is a possibility the town will need to source water
from outside Burrillville as things stand right now.
A mid sized data center can use 300,000 gallons of
water per day. We cannot afford to go down this
road.
I mentioned data centers are often powered
by fossil fuels. There is currently a proposal by
Enbridge Energy to increase the capacity of their
natural gas pipeline that runs through town. This
pipeline conveniently lies next to the over 700 acres
Enbridge owns. Land that was earmarked for the
power plant. We would have to be naive or blind to
see where this is going. I believe that a data center
is a very real evil we face. Upgrading the pipeline
capacity is a first move under the guise providing
natural gas for other areas.
The facility itself would destroy the fabric of
the town and our ability to secure clean drinking
water for everyone would be forever impacted.
Naturalists, residents, children and hunters alike
would be affected. A data center would destroy our
land, our wildlife and the way of life we cherish.
I believe the danger is imminent and action is
urgent. Smithfield passed a town ordinance this
year to prohibit data centers in town. Unfortunately
Hanton City Investments had filed an application
with the town the day before the ordinance passed
for a business complex that would include a data
center. What happens next no one knows yet.
As a town we need to get our hands around this
problem sooner than later. The evidence is plain
for us to see. Should I be elected, the first order of
business I will attempt to undertake will be drafting
an ordinance to forever ban any data center from
being built in town. The time is now, we must get
out in front this issue before its too late.
I welcome your opinions and ideas on the subject.
Please reach out to my campaign
Don Sullivan for Burrillville
Town Council
Email: Don@sullivanfortc.com
Phone: 401-648-2423
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SullivanforTC
Paid for by Friends of Don Sullivan