Bonner Data Center

I STRONGLY oppose this data center and all data centers anywhere in this state or on this planet. When will humans learn to stop destroying things for short term financial gains for a few people? It is way past time to wake up. We cannot live without water, and this data center threatens the water for our community. Should be an easy NO.

This is probably the single dumbest idea I've heard about. Weather or not you like it; nature tourism is the lifeblood of the Montana economy. A data center is entirely antithetical to wildlife and nature conservation, why on earth would we shoot ourselves in the foot for the sake of some AI chatbot?

I oppose the proposed data center near Bonner because it is incompatible with the natural character and environmental values of the Blackfoot Valley and Montana.

The Bonner area serves as a gateway to one of Montana's most scenic landscapes. A large industrial facility with extensive cooling infrastructure, security lighting, fencing, backup generators, and utility development would permanently alter the area's rural character and diminish the natural beauty that residents and visitors value.

The project also raises concerns for wildlife and fisheries. Increased noise, lighting, traffic, and human activity have the potential to disrupt wildlife movement and habitat use in an area that supports a wide variety of native species. The Blackfoot River corridor is particularly important as both wildlife habitat and a recreational resource.

Most concerning is the potential impact on the Blackfoot River and its world-class trout fishery. Native trout depend on cold, clean water. If cooling water is withdrawn from the river and returned at higher temperatures, it could contribute to warming of the river, particularly during summer periods when water temperatures are already stressful for fish. Any increase in water temperature or degradation of water quality could negatively affect native trout populations and the recreational economy that depends on them.

The Blackfoot River, its fisheries, wildlife, and scenic values are irreplaceable public resources. These resources should be protected, and I urge decision-makers to deny this proposal unless it can be demonstrated that there will be no significant impacts to the river, wildlife, or the character of the Blackfoot Valley.

It is my opinion that this data center will bring nothing positive to Bonner or Montana.

I strongly oppose this (and any future) data centers at this site and the surrounding area. There are essentially no local benefits to these data centers--it's just a question of which communities they can bully into shouldering the burden. This data center is just the beginning of a slippery slope to ruining the things that make Missoula County a place worth living and visiting.

Put this data center in California, it would fit right in. NO DATA CENTERS SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN MONTANA.

This proposed data center would have significant and lasting impacts on Montana, its communities, and the natural landscapes that make this state so special. Allowing it to be built feels contrary to the values that Montanans have worked hard to protect for generations: our open spaces, clean environment, abundant wildlife, and way of life.
The environmental consequences will be far-reaching, affecting wildlife habitats, increasing energy and water demands, contributing to rising temperatures, and impacting snowpack and the ecosystems that depend on it. These are not just environmental concerns; they are concerns about the future of our communities, our outdoor heritage, and the resources that sustain us.
Montana’s beauty and natural character are among its greatest treasures. Once they are compromised, they cannot easily be restored. It is deeply concerning that decisions with such profound local impacts may primarily benefit out-of-state corporations and investors, while the people who live here are left to bear the environmental and community costs. We have a responsibility to protect this place for future generations and ensure that short-term economic interests do not come at the expense of Montana’s long-term health, identity, and future. So please do not allow this data center to be built. No data centers should be allowed in the state of Montana.

I ask respectfully, what reason do we have for allowing this? It will create job (that’s not a typo — we’re likely looking at one singular job for the community, if that). Meanwhile, the impact on our community’s water will be irreversible. This means not just impacts on our ability to maintain a healthy ecosystem that provides enough water for its human residents to survive and thrive, but also unpredictable (at best) outlooks for threatened species such as the Bull Trout, which our state has been fighting like hell to protect.

If my seven year old can’t fish in the early hours of the morning so as to protect the trout population, then why would we possibly allow a massive, water-consuming data center that offers literally no benefits to our community to suck up our most vital natural resource and raise the temperatures of the remaining water past the point of species viability?

At least my kid would eat the fish.

Rick Hall, chair of the Bonner-Milltown community council, was quoted in the Pulp speaking about the data center proposal saying, “I think we ought to ask, is a bigger casino good for our community?Probably not. But that is not the yardstick for whether a business is there or not. And you know, in this country, it’s whether businesses choose to be there so they can make money. That’s it. Not to be good to the community.” While I understand the analogy Rick is attempting to make, respectfully, this is inaccurate. There are many businesses that could be argued they are not “good” for a community. Examples may include bars, dispensaries, and yes, casinos. However, the difference between these businesses and an AI data center are extensive. For example, People may largely avoid the potential negative effects of a casino by choosing not to enter the establishment. They can choose not to gamble. Similarly to how people can choose not to consume alcohol or other substances, if they so choose. An AI data center does NOT allow nearby residents to choose whether or not they will be affected by it. The water, light, noise, and environmental pollution will affect us (Bonner residents, like myself). We cannot choose to not partake in the effects of a data center in our neighborhood, should it be built. I live across the street from the site. Please consider that allowing this business to proceed means taking away the agency of local residents to live a safe, healthy, peaceful, and environmentally sound existence in our own community. This would infringe upon our rights as citizens. So, no, it’s not like a casino, Mr. Hall. Please consider how you would feel if you lived across the street from the site and knew your own health and safety were being compromised — without your consent. Keep us safe. Thank you.

NO DATA CENTER! We as humans have the capacity to create so many amazing things using our own creativity. We have the power to create something much better than data centers. The direction capitalism is taking us is straight into the ground. Our earth cannot sustain this continued action… or rather, it will not sustain us. We are destroying our only home for the sake of technological advancement that quite frankly, most do not even want. MATRIARCHY NOW!! MATRIARCHY NOW!! Death to the patriarchy, its greed, and the harm we continued to do to our earth and one another.

I’m my opinion adding a data center to any part of Montana would go against every fiber of what makes Montana what it is. With our wide open fields of grass, canola, forests and countless other species of plants that would be affected by a data center. You also got to look at the disturbance of the water near any area we would be putting any data centers. These data centers will start by taking more water from those areas than we can afford, most the state is always considered in drought season and with the lessening of snowfall throughout the years we don’t have water in excess anyways. Adding data centers will also impact native fish species and their natural spawning areas that these fish rely on to survive. As I conclude this I have one more thing to say. Why don’t you go door to door as someone wanting this data center to be built and ask some of the locals what they think of the idea, I bet that those true Montanas, the ones not selling out their land for money, would oppose the idea of a data center.

It would be shameful to allow a data center at this site. A data center will provide zero new jobs while negatively impacting the surrounding community. It will use a staggering account of water and electricity, and ratepayers will see our utility bills rise as a direct result. It will create an annoying noise, like an air conditioner running 24/7, that nearby residents will be unable to escape. It will negatively impact wildlife and deplete water resources. I can't think of one single benefit this data center can offer our community. This site has so much potential to attract industry that would create jobs and benefit the surrounding community, and we lose all of that economic potential by allowing a data center to fill it with machines instead of people. And a data center will hurt surrounding businesses - the noise alone will negatively impact the ampitheater, because the data center's hum will be 24/7. I don't see all these issues being addressed, and I doubt that it is even possible for a data center to exist without serious environmental harm, pollution, damage to water resources, utility hikes to ratepayers, and a constant noise that drives people batty and lowers nearby property values, all while bringing zero full-time jobs to Bonner. Simply look at every other data center that already exists for a blueprint of the damage that will come to our community if a data center is allowed in here.

A data center would poison our rivers, raise energy costs that are already too high, and do untold damage to our area. It should be stopped at all costs.

i’m gonna be as clear as I can. if you build it, I will burn it down.

Hello members, it is a general consensus that most people don’t want the AI centers. The way it is designed and impacts people’s lives and our environment is devastating, the proof is in other established AI center areas. Water has been a topic for many conversations about drought and our water tables shrinking rapidly. AI centers in other states have shown proof of draining water and power from people making it unaffordable or not accessible. If the water goes people die. If our plants and animals go people will die. This is so much bigger than money for technology that is new and damaging. Don’t allow it in push the creators to do better if they want it to exist. Montana gold is the water.

Hello Members. I strongly oppose the Bonner Data Center. I have friends that live directly across the proposed project and they have informed me of major issues. The top issue being environmental issues that will hurt our local rivers. We worked so hard to get the Clark Fork and Blackfoot rivers back to their natural flowing state. Why would risk endangering these special rivers and species that inhabit them, again? Also, it seems this project would not supply many jobs for the community once it’s up and running. It’s clear this project is not in our community’s best interest.

I am writing to express significant concern and fear regarding the negative impacts of the proposed data center in bonner. I am begging you to reject the proposal so that we can preserve our water and community. We will commit our selves to ruin and death if the data center is allowed. Please. I do not want my daughter to live in a place where we can't drink or use the water and where the wild life has been lost and the river run dry. I am a 4th generation montanan and do not want to have to leave for safety reasons.

As someone who attended the first meeting and witnessed Steven Wood (Krambu CEO) dodge questions and change information he'd already given- this company does NOT care about anything but lining their pockets. No care for the environment, nor the people here. My child goes to school 100 feet away from where they want to operate this data center, yet they got annoyed with questions about noise, safety, clean water, and electricity. Please, keep our state local. Don't sell it out any further. Do your research, educate yourself on Krambu, and AI in general.

NO DATA CENTER IN BONNER!!!

I wanted to share my input that I also strongly oppose the proposed data center being allowed to construct in Bonner.
The concerns I have are how it will affect the surrounding areas, the water quality, energy usage and cost, and the residents of the area.
How are they going to address those concerns? How can they prove - beyond doubt - that our concerns are invalid?
I do not care how much money is promised because the data centers that have popped up elsewhere have harmed the communities that surround them with lower quality water, light pollution, and makes acres of land unusable.
They are planning to have minimal staffing at this center while taking up our water, electric, and land resources. While they may bring in temporary jobs during the center's construction (if they do not outsource the work to out-of-state construction companies), they are not bringing us much benefits -- only noise, pollution, and needless headaches.
Please do not support the data center in Bonner.

Please, for the love of all that is natural, good, healthy, and beautiful, do NOT allow this atrocity in our community. It will undoubtedly destroy our local ecosystems and our own health and wellness with it. The rich and privileged may not notice, but the majority of us will suffer.

I strongly oppose this data center and all AI data centers. We don’t need AI. We need clean water and air. We need to maintain the fish populations that are already endangered and protected in the Blackfoot. No good will come from this center being placed anywhere in Montana.