“Data centers are going to come. Where and when and how, we’ve got some influence there,” state Rep. Mandy Steele, who represents the area, told community members concerned about plans to put a 652,300-square-foot facility in Springdale Borough.
A Public Source investigation
In Springdale, a small borough near Pittsburgh, national battles over ICE and data centers collide with local questions about policing, power and accountability.
Residents of Springdale, though, have not felt heard, and those from neighboring Cheswick were barred from speaking at public meetings leading up to the borough’s permitting decision. Some are still fighting, while others plan to move out.
100 Days in Appalachia Filmmaker P. Nick Curran collaborated with a Pittsburgh’s Public Source team to document the Allegheny Valley’s reactions to the plan.
P. Nick Curran is Director of Video at 100 Days in Appalachia and can be reached at pnickcurran@rdyr.org.
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