A property developer's plan to build a 2 million-square-foot data centre in a former steel plant in Plymouth Township, a Philadelphia suburb, has sparked a bitter dispute over local demands for mitigating its impact. Developer Brian O'Neill initially agreed to accept whatever conditions the township proposed, but has since challenged the resulting 43-point, nine-page zoning ordinance in court as too burdensome, prompting accusations from local officials that he is trying to force approval through legal pressure. The row illustrates a wider pattern across the US, where communities increasingly demand that data centres pay taxes, cover infrastructure costs and limit environmental harm before developers back away from commitments once the specifics are laid out.

Under Pennsylvania law, the township cannot reject the project outright but can impose health and safety conditions. Its requirements cover noise, light, heat, water and power, including pre- and post-construction noise studies, screening of rooftop machinery, dark-sky-compliant lighting, shielding against radio interference, a closed-loop non-toxic cooling system, and a ban on drawing water from the Schuylkill River or public supplies. Township council president Lynne Viscio accused O'Neill of "bullying" and "intimidating" officials, while the township issued a 12-page statement dismissing his legal challenge as "approval by tantrum." One council member, while sympathetic to the potential economic benefits of data centres, said residents' health should not be sacrificed to secure them.