Judge rules data center project must undergo full environmental review

IMPERIAl, Calif. (KYMA) - A judge ruled that the county must conduct a full environmental impact report for a new data center complex rather than reviewing its components in isolation.

The court found sufficient evidence of potential environmental impacts, rejecting the county's attempt to treat permits as ministerial actions.

Alene Taber, attorney for the City of Imperial, spoke to News 11 about the decision.

"Basically the county divided up the project into smaller pieces. So, for example, there was a separate grading permit, a lot merger that was separate a vacation of a roadway, and then they were looking at those individual pieces and saying, look, they're ministerial meaning, we don't have to have a lot of analysis, a review to determine whether these uses are permitted," she shared.

However, the City of Imperial and the courts disagreed.

"The city was saying, no, you have to look at the project as a whole, which the court agreed with us. And when you look at the project as a whole, there are the potential for significant environmental impacts. And you need to do the most stringent level of environmental review, which is an environmental impact report," Taber explained.

An important piece of the puzzle is disclosing these findings to the public, and to let the public "review and provide meaningful comments."

"Going through the environmental process is going to give the community a voice and be able to express what their concerns are and for their own assessment to be made as to whether or not this is the right location for this project," she said.

Moving forward, the parties will submit comments on a tentative decision while the county remains barred from issuing further approvals.