FRANKLIN FURNACE, Ohio — The Ohio EPA will hold a public meeting Wednesday evening on a wetland permit application tied to the construction of a $1 billion Google data center in Franklin Furnace — a project that has drawn significant opposition from residents in this rural Scioto County community along the Ohio River.
The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, from 6 to 6:30 p.m. at Green High School, 4057 Gallia Pike, Franklin Furnace.
The Ohio EPA received an application from Tilted Gate LLC — the entity behind the Google project — for an Isolated Wetland Level 3 permit to construct the data center facility.
The project involves the construction of a 500,000 square foot data center campus. Google was granted a 75 percent tax abatement for 15 years as part of a payment in lieu of taxes agreement, under which the company pays $500,000 annually plus additional compensation based on square footage once construction is complete.
The project has faced strong opposition from Franklin Furnace residents who have raised concerns about its impact on the community, the Ohio River, and surrounding wetlands.
Wednesday’s meeting represents one of the few formal opportunities for the public to weigh in before the Ohio EPA decides on the permit.