SPRINGDALE, PA — Springdale residents and Allegheny Valley community members, organized by Food & Water Watch and Save Allegheny Valley Environment, rallied on Wednesday ahead of a public meeting regarding the proposed Springdale data center. Speakers urged the county to deny the developer’s land development application. The county must issue a decision by Jan. 26, 2027.

Allegheny DC Propco LLC, also known as Dynamo DC, has proposed a hyperscale data center on the site of the former Cheswick Generating Station. Springdale Borough approved the project’s zoning in December 2025. The project must still meet Allegheny County’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, and Allegheny County Economic Development is now reviewing the application.

The county’s Sept. 16 review letter included 97 comments on the application. Mackin Engineering, the county’s engineering consultant, states: “As submitted, the plan does not conform to the Allegheny County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance standards.” The reviews found:

• Arsenic and other pollutants in the soil, and no state-approved plan for cleanup
• No sign-off from the Allegheny County Health Department
• Diesel backup generators, at ground level across the street from houses, with no plans to muffle noise or control exhaust

“For decades, the oil and gas industry lied to Pennsylvanians about the benefits to communities, and now Big Tech is attempting to use the same playbook for AI data center development,” said Robin Lesko, Western Pennsylvania Organizing Manager for Food & Water Watch. “Rampant exploitation has left county residents with some of the nation’s worst air quality, elevated cancer rates, and high gas prices. Forcing AI data centers into people’s backyards will only add insult to injury. Allegheny County must heed residents’ pleas and fiercely reject this project that will only further harm.”

“I remember having to clean off outdoor furniture every morning because the soot from the smokestack was so thick,” said Cathy Mager, a lifelong Springdale resident. “I believe this contributed to many residents’ health issues. I was happy to think our town might finally have less pollution. But now we are facing a data center that will cause the same problems.”

“This development will have a wide-ranging impact on the AK Valley, and decisions about it shouldn’t be taken lightly,” said Erin Cochran, New Kensington. “We must demand more than the bare minimum from these developers. The billionaires’ boot is on our neck whether we lick it or not, and we must resist and speak out. Our lives depend on it.”

Background

Rachel Carson grew up in Springdale, and her 1962 book Silent Spring helped launch the modern environmental movement. Nearly 65 years later, her hometown, a designated environmental justice community, is still fighting for clean air. 

Western Pennsylvania has been at the forefront of gas extraction and subsequent exploitation by the industry for decades. Pennsylvania is the second largest gas-producing state in the nation with some of the worst air quality. Earlier this year, Allegheny County received another failing air quality rating and has consistently had some of the worst air in the nation. 

Allegheny DC’s proposed data center would have on-site power generation, likely from fracked gas which would further drive pollution for residents. The Pennsylvania Constitution guarantees residents a right to clean air and pure water, held in trust for “generations yet to come.” Rally speakers say the county’s own reviews leave those rights unprotected.