#lackoftransparency — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

DoomsdaysCW @[email protected] · 2026-02-24 · 22:08 UTC

#Datacenter builders thought #farmers would willingly sell land, learn otherwise

Even in a fragile farm economy, million-dollar offers can’t sway dedicated farmers.

Ashley Belanger – Feb 23, 2026

Excerpt: "For 'Silicon Valley executives,' rural areas are likely attractive due to 'weak zoning protections, cheap power, and abundant water,' The Guardian reported.

"It likely doesn’t help to sell the farmers these deals when they tend to come out of nowhere, following a knock on the door from a middleman who doesn’t make it clear who wants to buy the land or how the land would be used.

"One 82-year-old Kentucky woman, Ida Huddleston, turned away a 'Fortune 500 company' offering $33 million for 650 acres. NBC News reported that several of her neighbors received similar offers. Huddleston joined at least five other residents in the county who refused to move forward after learning they’d have to sign a non-disclosure agreement just to find out who they would be dealing with. Ultimately, Huddleston had to search public records to figure out that a data center was even being planned in the area, The Guardian reported. The #LackOfTransparency is a problem, farmers have said, because what buyers want to do with the land matters.

" 'You don’t have enough to buy me out,' Huddleston told the company representatives when rejecting the deal. 'I’m not for sale. Leave me alone, I’m satisfied.' "

Read more:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/02/im-not-for-sale-farmers-refuse-to-take-millions-in-data-center-deals/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/DB229

#Datacenters #LandIsLife #NoDatacentersOnFarms #NoAI
#AISucks #NoWaterForAI
#NoNukesForAI #SendTechBrosToMars #NoMoreDatacenters #WaterIsLife #USPol

#datacenter #farmers #lackoftransparency #datacenters #landislife #nodatacentersonfarms

DoomsdaysCW @[email protected] · 2023-12-15 · 20:07 UTC

North Texans want more say as nuclear plant seeks to continue operating through 2053

By Haley Samsel
December 11, 2023

"Crossing the dark parking lot outside the Somervell County Expo Center, Susybelle Gosslee barely could see the ground in front of her. The experience left her feeling 'vulnerable' — and concerned about why the Nuclear Regulatory Commission [#NRC] didn’t turn on outdoor lights for its Dec. 7 public meeting about the #ComanchePeak #nuclear power plant in #GlenRoseTexas.

"That wasn’t her only critique. Earlier in the day, Gosslee and other #environmental advocates struggled to log on to a virtual meeting hosted by the commission. Officials apologized for the challenges and vowed to host another online session the week of Dec. 18.

"'That is not transparency, and it’s not good government,' Gosslee, the Dallas-based chair of #HazardousWaste issues for the League of Women Voters of Texas, said. 'I’m concerned because of the lack of access to meetings, and you can see that it wasn’t well-publicized because there is nobody here. That’s an indicator that the job did not get done.'

"Gosslee’s criticism comes as #Vistra, the owner of the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant in Glen Rose, seeks to keep its reactors online through at least 2053. The plant began operation in 1990.

"The company’s current licenses for two nuclear units, which have the capacity to power 1.2 million homes under normal electricity conditions, expire in 2030 and 2033. Vistra announced its license renewal application in October 2022, citing a desire to bring more 'carbon-free electricity' to the electric grid.

"'Renewing the licenses of this plant is critical for grid reliability and our environment and is a benefit to the economy, the local community and our company,' Jim Burke, president and CEO of Vistra, said at the time.

As part of the license renewal process, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has already heard from dozens of residents living in the plant’s 50-mile radius, including parts of Tarrant, Hood and Somervell counties.

#FortWorthTexas

"Many are supportive of Comanche Peak’s continued operation, citing its economic contributions as Somervell County’s largest taxpayer and an employer of more than 600 full-time staff. At a January public meeting, Glen Rose ISD Superintendent Trig Overbo and Somervell County Judge Danny Chambers were among the plant’s most vocal supporters. Others, including Gosslee, expressed concerns over how the aging plant would handle higher risk of #drought, #wildfires and #earthquake activity.

"Since then, Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff have evaluated the environmental impact of running the plant for 20 years after the current licenses expire in 2030 and 2033. The agency issued its draft environmental impact statement in early November, outlining considerations like air quality, land use, water resources, human health and waste management.

"Commission staff determined that Comanche Peak’s continued operation would have only small impacts on the surrounding environment, said Tam Tran, who led the environmental review. The agency defines small impacts as being either undetectable or so minor that they will neither destabilize nor noticeably alter natural resources. [Apparently, these people either believe in #hormesis or don't believe in #bioaccumulation!]

"The review also found that the plant’s operations may affect, but are not likely to negatively impact, protected species such as the #GoldenCheekedWarbler, #TricoloredBat and #MonarchButterfly. Fish habitats are not expected to be affected, Tran said."

Full article:
https://www.keranews.org/environment-nature/2023-12-11/north-texans-want-more-say-as-nuclear-plant-seeks-to-continue-operating-through-2053

#LackOfTransparency #NoNukes #RenewablesNow #Solar #Texas