Photo courtesy of NCCS.

BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA – Town of Massena officials never planned to take action on a proposed data processor that could be sited at the former Alcoa East plant but more than 50 residents attended the board’s May 20 meeting to voice opposition to the project nonetheless.

Word had spread on social media in recent days that town officials had scheduled a public hearing to approve the project, with a vote allegedly set to follow.

But town officials cleared the air at the very beginning of the meeting, saying they never intended to touch on the project during the meeting.

North Country This Week reviewed the town board’s agenda when word first spread and found no evidence that data centers were ever included.

Still, dozens of residents from the Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation came to voice direct opposition to the planned 635 megawatt project.

The Town Planning Board will hear a proposal regarding the proposed data center May 21 at 5 p.m. at the Massena Town Hall.

The site plan calls for three large structures to be built, one totaling 535,000 square feet, with the second to be 515,000 square feet and the third coming in at 400,000 square feet. The plan also calls for 316 diesel generators at the location, though NYDIG officials said that figure could be reduced. At any given time 20 would be running, with the company saying each would be used "on a rotating basis."

A new electrical substation would also be required, though the operator would use some of the existing infrastructure owned by the Power Authority, utilizing NYPA power lines.

County officials said the substation would account for an additional 200MW of power, along with the existing 200MW already allocated for the site. Despite the plan, officials said they were concerned about the amount of power to be utilized.

A power purchase agreement has not been struck as of press time, officials said.

County officials noted the power dam in Massena currently produces 800MW of power.

Many residents said the project would be another in a long line of industrial projects that have negatively impacted the tribe.

One resident went as far to call the projects a “genocide” that has wiped out generations of tribal members, inflicting numerous health issues ranging from infertility to various forms of cancer.

Studies have shown industrial facilities upstream of the reservation more than likely contributed to exponentially higher cancer rates among tribal members, with links to PCB contaminates at the forefront of studies.

Other members spoke on behalf of a large group of tribal members in a group called MUSH, which has sought to speak directly with NYDIG officials who are proposing the data center.

Members of the organization said they met with North Country Collocation Services officials in an effort to establish clear and open dialogue, though transparency was lacking during a recent meeting with the public  as exact figures from the project were not openly disclosed.

NCCS officials said they hoped to move forward with “clear and transparent communication” with the entire community.

As part of that process, they said they would continually update a project website to ensure residents had a first-hand source to find all relevant information, updates and documentation.

It’s something Deputy Supervisor Sam Carbone said is a necessity moving forward.

“The website is absolutely needed because we want to make sure everyone has the necessary information and I hope that we can fight any misinformation this way,” he said.

Misinformation is what led dozens of residents to attend the May 20 meeting, however town officials said they were grateful to see such a large turnout despite the contentious project.

Supervisor Ray Lancto also pointed to the misinformation that was shared online, urging town residents to obtain information for the town’s own resources and not on social media pages.

Moving forward, town officials will post updates on the town’s official Facebook page titled “Town of Massena, New York,” as well as the town’s website, massena.us.

Though more than a dozen speakers voiced opposition to the measure, Carbone said no action would be taken any time soon.

“This is a process and this is the first step in that process,” Carbone said.

Many proposals in the project were a non-starter for the town, he said.

“When we saw water would be used from the river, that was a non-starter for us,” he said.

Alternative cooling methods would have to be utilized, he said.

Carbone suggested closed-loop cooling systems that are self-contained, something NCCS officials said was under consideration as plans continued to evolve.

Carbone also noted town officials were very concerned about the possible environmental impact and what it would mean for residents in both Massena, as well as Akwesasne.

Lancto also voiced concerns, saying the town was still weighing “all options” as the project is reviewed.

As part of that process, environmental and economic impact studies must be completed, codes must be reviewed and permits or variances must also be approved.

Next up, the project will go before the Town of Massena Planning Board where it is sure to garner a number of questions just as it did with the County Planning Board.

NCCS officials said they looked forward to the opportunity to address any questions and concerns during the meeting, which is scheduled for May 21 at 5 p.m. at the Massena Town Hall.