OKMULGEE, Okla. — Fluidstack is full steam ahead with building an AI data center west of Madison avenue, albeit in Okmulgee County jurisdiction. The only signature the company needs from City of Okmulgee is for its water supply.
A day after 2 News Oklahoma listened to both neighbors and company representatives at the sole open house hosted by Fluidstack, residents let city council know their thoughts on the data center, even though it was not on the agenda.
- Previous coverage>>> Data center developer tries to change minds at Okmulgee event
“(Fluidstack is) not doing anything for us," one woman said during public comments. "They want to come here, they’re going to use our land. In my opinion, I don't think they're going to do right by us."
"I've written software that makes servers 80% more efficient on RAM and CPU," another resident said. "There are ways that we can make a difference, and right now we are letting things happen to us."
2 News also received complaints over the last week surrounding the data center's effects on the environment and endangered species. The data center's property would border Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge.
A spokesperson with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service responded to 2 News' inquiry on July 21:
Under the Endangered Species Act 4(d) rule for the American burying beetle, published on Oct. 15, 2020, habitat modification activities are exempted within the Southern Plains, which includes Oklahoma, outside of certain defined conservation areas.
Within the Southern Plains, habitat availability is not a limiting factor for the American burying beetle, and land development has low risks to the species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asks project proponents to report their activities through the American Burying Beetle Determination Key within the Service’s automated reporting system (IPaC: Information for Planning and Consultation [ipac.ecosphere.fws.gov]).
Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge does not regulate private land activities and has not communicated with local officials or the project proponent on this project. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and refuge staff continue to work with the local community, partners and neighbors, and is committed to fostering those relationships for the benefit of wildlife and refuge visitors.
The paper trail is also a concern for those who spoke at the July 21 city council meeting.
"Fluidstack says that they have filed required permits with the city," one Okmulgee commuter said. "Can we see those, per those requests that we filed?”
"Why is everything so secretive? Nobody here knows nothing,” Okmulgee resident David Nichols said at the podium. “This is starting to look like Sand Springs and Coweta. It sure is."
Jake Cummings took matters more directly to the council. "We're calling for the resignation of every single member of this council, the mayor, and the city manager," Cummings said. "You have lied to the people. You have misled us. You have misinformed us.”
Tamra Day told 2 News there are too many people fed up for city officials to not speak up more. “Transparency. We’ve laid out hundreds of questions and they need to start answering,” Day said. "We elected them and we hold them accountable. They represent us and they need to start answering the questions from us."
Because no data center item was on the July 21 agenda, the council did not directly address the complaints brought up.
Fluidstack plans to open operations at the data center by September 2027.
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