Public meeting to discuss permits for Saline data center, impact on wetlands
The project includes filling and excavating wetlands, installing culverts in unnamed streams, and constructing multiple stormwater outfalls that would discharge treated runoff into local waterways.
Michigan is courting billion-dollar AI data centers—but residents worry about energy bills, water use, and climate impacts.
Opposition to a proposed data center in Saline Township continues as state regulators prepare to take public comment on environmental permits tied to the project.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will hold a virtual public hearing Thursday to gather input on whether to issue permits to developer Related Digital. The permits cover impacts to wetlands, streams, and nearby waterways.
Tim Bruneau, a member of Stop Saline Data Center who lives near the proposed site, raised concerns about the project’s closed-loop cooling system. He says repeated circulation concentrates contaminants such as glycol, rust inhibitors, and nitrates, which would eventually be discharged into the Saline River.
The project includes filling and excavating wetlands, installing culverts in unnamed streams, and constructing multiple stormwater outfalls that would discharge treated runoff into the Saline River, Bridgewater Drain, and other waterways. One of the outfalls would be located within the Saline River’s 100-year floodplain.
The virtual public hearing begins at 6 p.m. Information on how to attend is available at michigan.gov/egle.
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