Residents voiced concerns about air pollution and health risks from proposed large-scale data centers during public comment at the Stafford County Board of Supervisors meeting on June 2, 2026.
J.W. Swain, a Washington District resident, detailed a recent conversation with Rich Duchette of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) regarding plans for approximately 11 million square feet of data centers along the Kings Highway assemblage.
“I calculated based on tier 4 generators, which are the best you can get, 37,000 pounds of PM 2.5 and PM 10 material,” Swain said. “That’s smaller than flour, baking flour. It would be expelled into the atmosphere based on a number of four maintenance days a year and 14.5 days per year.”
Swain highlighted the generators’ proximity to sensitive sites, including schools 1.5 to 2 miles away and a park roughly 1,000 yards distant. According to Swain, Duchette confirmed that the DEQ cannot deny permits based on concentration of pollution sources alone, though the agency recognizes the issue. Swain stressed that the Board of Supervisors holds authority to consider health impacts.
“You are the last stand for health, our health concerns. You are the Alamo of our health concerns,” Swain told the board.
The primary development referenced aligns with the Forest Lane Data Center proposal (applications RC25156546, CUP25156542, and related COM25156545) in Stafford County’s George Washington Election District.
Located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Kings Highway (Route 3) and Forest Lane, the project spans 845 acres across multiple tax map parcels. Applicant Real Estate Pursuits 2 LC (affiliated with Peterson Companies) seeks rezoning from A-1 and M-1 to M-2 for data center uses, along with a Conditional Use Permit for an electrical substation.
As of recent county listings, the application remains under staff review. It is part of a broader pipeline of roughly 18 data center proposals in Stafford, totaling tens of millions of square feet. Other nearby efforts include Peterson-affiliated projects such as Project Sisson near Albion Lane.
Kevin French, a George Washington District resident and former technology executive, urged the board to engage outside legal, financial, and technical expertise — similar to the approach taken with Dominion’s Bristers transmission corridor — given the scale and complexity of proposals exceeding 30 million square feet regionally.
“Few local governments have ever been asked to simultaneously consider land use, water, utility, fiscal, legal and economic development implications on this scale,” French said.
Stafford County has updated its Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance in recent years to regulate data centers, including stricter setbacks, noise standards, and environmental considerations, while balancing economic benefits such as tax revenue. The county maintains a dedicated Data Centers page outlining its policies. Public hearings before the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors would be required for major applications like Forest Lane.
The June 2 meeting, called to order at 5 p.m. by Chairman Deuntay Diggs (with Supervisors Pamela Yeung and Crystal Vanuch absent, featured extensive public comment on growth-related issues amid post-FY27 budget discussions. Supervisors did not respond directly to the data center comments but have scheduled related work sessions on regional tax rates.
For the latest project status, residents are encouraged to review materials on the Stafford County Development Review page or contact the Planning and Zoning Department.
