Op-Ed: Protect Virginia’s History From Data Centers
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In late summer 1862, the Union Army of Virginia, created by President Abraham Lincoln to protect Northern Virginia and shield Washington, collided with Confederate forces west of Bull Run in Prince William County.
The titanic clash, fought Aug. 28-30, came to be known as the Second Battle of Manassas, its 22,000 casualties dwarfing the impact of its predecessor, fought 13 months earlier.
Today, the threat posed to Northern Virginia is much different – but it, too, requires a determined effort. This time, the challenge is to protect the remaining rural enclaves of Prince William from rampant industrial development. In its haste to encourage data center developers to pour cash into the county, the Board of County Supervisors has failed to take steps to protect its valuable but vulnerable outdoor treasures like Manassas National Battlefield.
Fortunately, a coalition of national and regional organizations have come together to preserve the Manassas Battlefield and other historic and natural resources in Prince William. Just last week, we spoke at an event that brought together more than 100 passionate opponents of the PW Digital Gateway to discuss the lawsuit and efforts to stop the data center development in its tracks.
As we look to the newly proposed Oct. 31 court date in our lawsuit against Prince William, the Aug. 28 event presented a critical opportunity to rally the defenders of the Manassas Battlefield and the land immediately adjacent to the hallowed grounds.
Virginia holds the largest global concentration of data centers – up to 70% of the world’s internet traffic goes through Loudoun County alone. In the past two years, we have seen data center threats that would affect the battlefields at Brandy Station, Deep Bottom, Glendale, Manassas, North Anna and the Wilderness. They have begun to creep into Maryland and Pennsylvania as well.
Soon, virtually every battlefield from Gettysburg to Petersburg will be in the crosshairs, as will other sensitive rural landscapes. That is why the fundraising reception in Centreville on Wednesday was so critical. Our ongoing litigation against the PW Digital Gateway is fighting against the largest data center complex on earth.
This goes beyond saving battlefield lands or other historic sites; it is about forcing communities to really understand the impact of data centers: From being insatiable consumers of energy to gobbling up local water resources to cool its power plants, this multibillion-dollar industry has grown rapidly in the past few years with minimal guardrails or oversight.
The goal is also to require municipalities to consider the long-term and cumulative impact of the decisions they are making without adhering to established land-use processes.
The support for the critical fight against the inappropriate data center development has been ongoing, and the Manassas reception was just one (important) piece of the puzzle as we muster our troops in preparation for the upcoming court date against Prince William.
But unlike the aftermath of those three sweltering and brutal days 162 years ago, the American Battlefield Trust and the Coalition to Protect Prince William County believe that this community will emerge without the permanent scars that the world’s largest data center development would inflict upon us.
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Chap Petersen is a former Virginia state Senator and legal counsel on the PW Digital Gateway lawsuit. David Duncan is president of the American Battlefield Trust.