Google data center environmental review process sparks debate in Hermantown community

Hermantown city officials are updating an alternative urban area-wide review for a proposed Google data center after opponents called for a more rigorous environmental impact statement during a public comment period at the city council meeting on Monday. The city had approved the AUAR in October but is now revising it with additional details and analysis. Opponents argue the AUAR was insufficient because it did not mention the data center and lacked the rigor of an EIS. According to the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board, state law requires both types of review to provide comparable levels of analysis. An EIS examines the environmental impacts of a specific proposed project. AUARs provide communities with a holistic view of development scenarios within a geographic area and give more flexibility for different kinds of projects to emerge within the scenarios. Hermantown officials said the project includes rapidly evolving technological elements that will likely alter the data center design during the eight to 10 year construction period. They stated the AUAR was designed by state statute to save time and resources for the city, developer and reviewing agencies by serving as a living document that provides versatility. An AUAR outlines the worst-case scenario of all possible development scenarios. Critics contend the AUAR already conducted did not match the rigor of an EIS. The EQB emphasizes that neither review is a regulatory document and that Hermantown has the final call on decisions about potential significant environmental effects. The process of updating the AUAR is expected to take seven months. Two public comment periods will be held during that time. Permitting cannot move forward until environmental review is complete.