Warren County officials clarify data center regulations after public concerns

WARREN COUNTY, Ky. — Warren County leaders spent close to an hour Thursday responding to public concerns over proposed data center regulations, as Fiscal Court moved forward with the second reading of zoning amendments aimed at tightening restrictions on the facilities.

Before the vote, Warren County Judge-Executive Doug Gorman addressed a list of questions that had surfaced in recent weeks, including concerns about noise, water consumption, electric grid demand, air quality and decommissioning.

Gorman said the proposed zoning amendments are designed to create some of the strictest standards possible while remaining legally enforceable.

“We’re not for data centers,” Gorman said. “What we’ve done from day one is, ‘how do we put in an ordinance, the strictest requirements to ensure they look somewhere else?’”

But some residents said they wanted more time.

Warren County resident Cathy Severns asked county leaders to pause the process for six months, saying the public needs more input before the county accepts any potential data center applications.

“We’re not asking you not to pass regulations,” Severns told the court. “We’re asking for a six-month pause while we have input on those regulations and understand what is happening.”

Severns also questioned why the conversation had not been more public earlier in the process, saying many residents still feel they are trying to catch up on the issue.

Other residents raised concerns about possible health impacts.

Janice Chumbler, a Warren County resident, spoke about her own experience with cancer and referenced environmental issues tied to industrial development in her hometown of Paducah.

“That is my biggest concern,” Chumbler said. “Will this cause health issues?”

Gorman responded by saying any future facility would still be required to meet environmental standards set by the state and federal government, including air quality permitting and inspections.

A major point of discussion centered around where a data center could potentially be located.

Gorman said under the proposed regulations, there is currently only one privately owned property in Warren County that could potentially qualify without requiring a public hearing.

That concern became part of the court’s argument against a moratorium.

Fifth District Magistrate Eric Aldridge said waiting could create a loophole, allowing a developer to purchase that property before the zoning amendments take effect and potentially seek exemption from future restrictions.

“If we’d have done a moratorium, that leaves us vulnerable,” Aldridge said.

After public comment and discussion, Fiscal Court approved the second and final reading of the zoning text amendments.

County leaders said the regulations can still be revisited and strengthened in the future if needed.