With the upcoming zoning hearing (no date announced yet, likely in June) for the proposed data center at the former steel plant at 900 Conshohocken Road in Conshohocken (Plymouth Township), we have been thinking about who might play a role in the hearing (beyond the immediate local neighborhood opposition), especially when it comes to concerns that data centers have on the environment.
One such body is Plymouth Township’s environmental advisory board (EAB), established in 2008 by the township council. According to Township Manager Matt West, “The Township’s Environmental Advisory Board (EAB) serves in an advisory capacity to Township Council on environmental matters and related initiatives within its established role and responsibilities.”
The keyword there is the council; there is no mention of the zoning hearing board, which will determine whether to grant a special exception as sought by the data center.
Township Manager West explained:
The data center application currently before the Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) is a zoning matter separate from Township Council. As you are aware, the ZHB functions as an independent quasi-judicial body responsible for hearing testimony, receiving evidence, and rendering decisions in accordance with the Township Zoning Ordinance and the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.
The Township’s ordinances do not establish a formal role for the EAB in the ZHB process, nor is an advisory recommendation from the EAB required for the application currently under consideration.
West did share that the EAB has provided the council with information regarding “environmental considerations” associated with data centers generally; however, that it is separate from the formal zoning application and hearing process.
As there is public concern about the environmental impact of a data center, we reached out to Plymouth Township and local environmental groups active in the township and asked whether they planned to seek party status.
MoreThanTheCurve.com reached out to the Delaware River Keeper Network, Energy Justice Network, and the Sierra Club. A representative of the Delaware River Keeper Network responded that the organization had not yet determined whether it would seek party status. Obtaining party status provides the opportunity to present evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and argue on relevant issues. It also provides the opportunity to appeal the decision.
Mike Ewall of Energy Justice, who was very active during the Covanta (now Reworld) issues a few years ago, also confirmed that Energy Justice would not be seeking party status.
Sierra Club has not yet responded. Sierra Club was behind Ready for 100, a national initiative aimed at encouraging local communities to commit to using 100 percent clean energy. Plymouth Township made this pledge in 2019. The Sierra Club was also involved in the township’s adoption of a ban on non-reusable plastics in 2024.