Bonner Data Center

Hello Members, I am writing as a very concerned Montana resident who very strongly opposes the new Data Center being proposed for Bonnor. Some major concerns I have are for the people who live in Bonner, the children who are attending school just across the street. The constant noise, and light pollution. We are not in California! I am also highly concerned about the pollution to our water ways, to our rivers, all of the waste that comes from these AI data centers is horrible, what is that going to do to our cutthroat, how about our endangered bull trout? What about the joy it brings our fishermen, our guides? The negative impact thats going to have on our economy from people not recreating is a huge mistake. As for the water being used to power the data center, is it actually the water from the fire suppression wells? Can you make that make sense? What is the back up plan for when fire season hits? Where will the water be coming from to fight fires? This all around sounds like a terrible public disaster. Money in the pocket of wealthy people is not more valuable than the lives of our fellow working Montanans, their Children, or the people who come to enjoy and appreciate this beautiful place. Let's put Montana first! The land, the Water, the Families!!!!We dont need AI !!!! We need to all get outside more! Get our feet wet, and play in the grass.

Please dont approve this data center!

Removed by moderator.

I am writing to express opposition to the data center proposal. I live in Bonner across the street from the proposed center. I live with my spouse and children. This proposal concerns me as someone who lives so close to the site. Additionally, does the public know there is a daycare operating across the street from the site as well (in addition to the school)? Our family and the daycare use well water. I attended the data panel conversation at the university in May, and the concerns over the polluted water waste, excessive amount of water used, harmful chemicals in the wastewater, and lack of knowledge on future effects is highly concerning for those of us who need this water to survive! There was also strong concern and evidence provided about power costs being passed along to the community members. This data center has no place across the street from my house. We are hardworking residents of this town and we love it here, and we do not deserve to be poisoned out of our own house and community with water, power, noise, light, and financial waste. Bonner School is already decreasing in enrollment without this added hellhole across the street. We would likely strive to be one less family in the area if this facility came to town. If we even had a choice considering how detrimental it could be to our quality of life! Please do what’s safe for the people who live here and do not approve this center. Thank you.

I would like to express my concern with and opposition to the proposed AI data center project in Missoula county. The environmental impact--especially on water quality would be devastating, as it has been in many other places across the country. The increase in cost of public resources like power and water would also place immense strain on Missoula residents in an already economically challenging time. The increase in jobs that could be initially provided by the construction of a data center would quickly go away as they are minimally manned, meaning this would not significantly add to the local economy or job market. As a young Montanan I'm scared of what the future will look like if we allow corporate greed to pollute and destroy our home.

I strongly oppose an AI data center at this proposed site. We have seen the negative impacts on the environment and the people these a.i. data centers have had in other states. Not only that we have seen how a.i. is already being abused by those in power it may be a useful tool but it is not in the right hands. An a.i. data center is not something we need in Missoula county or anywhere for that matter. A.i. does not create jobs it makes already existing jobs redundant.

I am writing today to voice my extreme concern about Krambu's proposed data center at Bonner. It has been shown time and again that these data centers strain a power grid's capacity, which will only increase NWE's already shocking rates. Montana DNRC makes the claim that we are in our sixth year of drought onset. Allowing this data center to consume millions of gallons of water annually will only exacerbate the declining water levels we've seen in our local basins. I'm incredibly skeptical that this data center will abide by Missoula County's noise ordinance, as well--their generators and HVAC systems are known to run over 95 decibels, and there are residences right across the highway from the proposed site, not to mention the school just down the road. Approving this abomination would be a crime against humanity and an affront to God.

I strongly oppose an AI data center at this proposed site. As we have seen with other similar builds in other areas of the country, AI data centers have an adverse I impact on water and environmental quality, as well as overall quality of life. The location submitted in this proposal is especially egregious, on the banks of the iconic Blackfoot River. This isn’t some out of the way location no one cares about - this is some of the most prized outdoor recreation areas left IN THE NATION. There’s a literal academy award winning film set there. It is unconscionable and irresponsible for our children and our children’s children to allow this project to proceed. It MUST be stopped.

To the Members of the Missoula County Consolidated Land Use Board:

I am writing to express my STRONG opposition to the special exception permit request by Krambu for a Data Center in the Bonner Mill Industrial Park. I am a Missoula native, an outdoor enthusiast and a parent/aunt to elementary aged children growing up in both Missoula and Bonner.

My heaviest concern is related to the environmental impact of this proposed data center. Even in closed-loop systems, it has been shown again and again that water usage is significant, water and ground temperature increases are measurable and chemical wastewater from blowdown is rampant. The Blackfoot River is one of the most iconic rivers in the Northwest and to allow this company minimally-regulated access to these waters would be a significant disregard for the overall cleanliness of the water, the well-being of the aquatic life and the health of the overall ecosystem. Secondary impacts on recreational activities and the fishing/floating industry are also to be considered. Additionally, the energy demands of these data centers are well-proven and eventually that cost falls on the shoulders of the locals in the area. This has been shown to happen time and time again and I do not see a scenario in which it will be different with this data center.

Secondly, this data center is proposed to be built a stone’s throw from AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. The constant, unrelenting noise created by the cooling systems will create stress, learning loss, anxiety and distraction among the children, as well as a miserable work environment for our teachers and administration. Allowing this permitting to pass through would be a complete disregard for these populations.

My final major concern (though I have many others), is the minimal benefit economically. Yes, this outside company and its non-Montana investors will benefit hugely from this data mine, however the local job creation once the construction is done will be minimal. It very much feels like a pillage and plunder of the beautiful environment we have at the Blackfoot confluence, with local Montanan’s coming out the losers.

I am asking the Missoula County Consolidated Land Use Board DENY the special exception request from Krambu, and do right by Montana.

I am in favor of the Krambu data center. Missoula County desperately needs decent private sector jobs and an increased tax base to perhaps provide some property tax relief.
Data centers are exploding in SE Mesa AZ. Meta just finished constructing one that covers a 360 acre campus. It uses a closed-loop water system and SRP (the NorthWestern Energy of Arizona) has not increased residential electricity rates because of it. In addition, the US needs to keep up with the CCP in the AI race. Although I understand some of the concerns, the good outweighs the bad in my opinion. Thank you.

Dear MCCLUB- I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed data center at the Bonner Mill site and to urge our local government to take a firm stand against resource-intensive tech developments in Missoula County. While we are all looking for ways to revitalize our local economy following mill closures and job losses, industrial data centers are the wrong fit for our community and pose significant threats to our environment, our quality of life, and our wallets.First, the environmental cost is simply too high. Facilities of this scale are notorious for draining precious water resources. Just one data center can consume millions of gallons of water per day for cooling. Placing such an enormous draw on our local water table—especially in close proximity to the Blackfoot River and Clark Fork—risks the very river systems that took decades to restore and that are vital to our local ecology and outdoor recreation economy.Second, the energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers are staggering. Proposals circulating throughout Montana threaten to strain the grid, and everyday residential ratepayers will likely be forced to foot the bill for necessary transmission upgrades. In a time when families and small businesses in Missoula are already dealing with a high cost of living, we cannot afford to subsidize the energy needs of out-of-state tech corporations.Furthermore, data centers are notoriously bad at job creation. After the initial construction phase is complete, these facilities operate almost entirely hands-off. Trading our community's natural resources and affordable energy for a handful of permanent tech jobs is a net loss for Missoula. Furthermore, the 24/7 nature of these operations brings intolerable light and noise pollution, including low-frequency vibrations that harm neighboring residents and local wildlife.We should be fostering sustainable, community-driven economic development rather than handing over our resources to massive data corporations. I urge the Planning Board and County Commissioners to rigorously apply local zoning requirements, deny special exceptions, and demand absolute accountability to protect our valley.Thank you for your time, leadership, and commitment to preserving the Missoula we all love.Sincerely,
Kari Nimlos
Owner of GEM jewelers
317 SW HIGGINS Farviews / Pattee Canyon]

I strongly oppose the proposed approval of the special exception for the Krambu Data Center. As I and many others have seen recently, data centers have caused significant damage to the quality of life of nearby residents to the centers, and to precious ecosystems. Constant noise, light, and poor water quality/levels, are all very real concerns to residents surrounding data centers, e.g., the situation in Georgia. The residents near this center in Georgia have undrinkable water that comes out brown from their tap. The constant noise and light from the center is drastically harming health and wellbeing. I fear that if a special exception is approved, the fate of residents near the historic Bonner Mill site will be the same.
Thank you for your consideration.

I am incredibly worried about the potential environmental impacts that a data center will have on our rivers. I am especially worried about the potentially adverse impacts increased water temperatures and decreased flow/volume will have on our native bull trout, protected by our endangered species act. Montanans care about our water and our environment, please act with the people you serve in mind. There are also concerns about economic impacts that increased loads would have on our electrical infrastructure. Who will pay for the distribution systems and for the increased burden on our infrastructure? We cannot use more energy until the energy we use is clean. Please think of the water you drink and the air you breathe first.

Dear Esteemed Members of the Missoula County Consolidated Land Use Board,
I am a proud Montana resident and I am avidly against any data centers being built in this state. Much of what is great about our state is the fresh waters, access to quiet, and appreciation for the land around us - all things that would be in jeopardy by the construction of a data center. The noise pollution, energy use, and water use are just the tip of the iceberg as to why this is a bad idea. In addition, I am concerned about the heat and degradation of clean water that the surrounding areas would get because of these data centers. We are facing a climate crisis and the last thing we need is more energy and fresh water being used for an industry that has yet to prove its worth. The residents of the Bonner area that you serve do not deserve to have their community and natural environment destroyed by this industry that billionaires are pushing upon us. Do not be like the Utah leaders that have ignored their community for a potential payout. Listen to your community members who will live through this issue not the corporate industry tycoons who will leave once they have destroyed our community. Please do what you know is best for Bonner and the surrounding communities, for the cutthroat and bull trout, and for the future of our world.

I am concerned about any projects that add to the heat of surrounding communities and watersheds, especially as it concerns the native west slope cutthroat and bull trout. The world does not need data centers. Listen to your community members. Your job is to do what’s best for community members, not corporations.

As a Montana kid born and raised this data center goes against all the values I’ve picked up throughout my life and learned from my family and friends. The west of Montana allready struggles with low snow pack and we’re seeing stage 1 fire restrictions in some regions of our state not far from where the proposed data center will be located. We’ve had a hot winter and spring and it makes me sad and worried for the state of our streams as is. The impact this center will have on stream flows and residents water will be far from positive and the Clark fork and Blackfoot are one of few places that hold bull trout and that should be well over enough to say no, we gotta keep them suckers around we’ve allready hurt their population enough

I am a montana resident and I am avidly against any data centers being built in this state. The noise pollution, energy use, and water use are a huge factor in why this is a terrible idea. We are facing a climate crisis and the last thing we need is more energy and fresh water being used. The residents of the Bonner area do not deserve to have their community and natural environment destroyed by this horrible machine.

I will voice along with many others that a data center will bring NO benefit to our community. The impact on our surrounding waterways alone would be castrophic for people and wildlife. It has been documented that people will loose access to water, wildlife ecyostems will collapse, and here in Montana it seems like a very bad idea to use our fire suppression supply. With climate change in full swing, fire season is no joke in Montana. Every Missoulian and Montanan knows that - fires are already burning in May - and we have know for years how precious our water is. No data center is worth jeopardizing that. AI does not have to be our future. It is more harmful than good and most of humanity agrees. This data center will hurt Montanans while benefiting extreme corporate greed that only cares about short term gains. Saying no will protect current and future Montanans. For the love of our treasure state, the environment, and humanity, have some good sense and do not support this data center. Again, future generations, like my 9 month old son is counting on us to do the right thing. Please NO data center!

Dear Members of the Missoula County Consolidated Land Use Board, I am writing as a local resident and as a former professional city planner to formally request that the board DENY the Special Exception permit for the proposed Krambu AI data center at the former Bonner Mill site. Given my professional background in land-use planning, I understand the high legal threshold an applicant must meet to earn a Special Exception. An applicant must definitively prove complete operational compatibility with nearby residential properties and natural resources. This application fundamentally fails to meet that planning standard, posing direct and unmitigated risks to our local infrastructure, utility rate stability, and a fragile, newly restored ecosystem.I urge the board to deny this permit based on the following critical impacts: 1. Electrical Grid Strain and Cost Shifts to RatepayersWhile the developer claims that purchasing power from the grid will not inflate local consumer rates, the sheer scale of the project suggests otherwise. The initial phase demands 7 megawatts (MW), scaling rapidly to 29 MW, with long-term engineering projections pointing to a massive 100 MW draw. This exponential load heavily risks triggering expensive grid infrastructure upgrades and peak-demand strain from NorthWestern Energy. Under current frameworks, these multi-million dollar stabilization costs are routinely passed down to everyday Montana families and small businesses. We should not subsidize the immense power demands of an outside tech firm.; 2. High-Volume Water Consumption and Aquifer DepletionData centers are notoriously resource-intensive. Krambu's application outlines a cooling infrastructure consisting of a combination of adiabatic and evaporative cooling towers using an estimated 50,000 gallons of water per month drawn from an on-site well. Drawing thousands of gallons of water out of the shared water table risks impacting the domestic wells that surrounding residential properties rely on. Furthermore, the plan includes discharging roughly 5,000 gallons of wastewater monthly into localized treatment facilities. The temperature, chemical treatments, and contaminant load of this discharge pose unmitigated risks to our localized water systems and the neighboring Blackfoot River ecosystem.; 3. Incompatible Noise and Vibration ProximityThe proposed facility features up to 10 massive evaporative cooling towers located within 500 feet of residential property boundaries. The applicant's estimate of a 55 dB noise footprint is highly idealized and fails to account for continuous, 24/7 low-frequency hums and infrasonic vibrations. Constant low-frequency vibrations are known to cause structural resonance and severe sleep disruption for nearby residents. A continuous, industrial cooling complex of this scale is entirely incompatible with the historic character and peaceful quality of life in the Bonner-Milltown community.; 4. Undoing Decades of Blackfoot River Restoration: The Bonner-Milltown community has spent decades remediating historic industrial pollution from old mill operations and cooling ponds to successfully restore the Blackfoot River ecosystem. Introducing a heavy industrial data center within 500 feet of this sensitive watershed threatens to reverse this hard-won progress. The threat of thermal pollution from wastewater discharge risks raising river temperatures and devastating native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. Furthermore, the chemical anti-scaling additives required to run these cooling towers risk leaching into our shallow gravel aquifer. The board must protect our millions of dollars in public restoration investments and reject this ecological threat. ConclusionFrom a sound planning perspective, the economic and public trade-offs of this project are entirely unjust. For a massive 7 MW facility that heavily exploits our local power grid and watershed, the developer is only proposing a meager 20 to 35 permanent jobs. This leaves our community with virtually no long-term employment or economic benefits while externalizing all of the severe ecological and financial risks onto the taxpayers of Missoula County. Because the applicant has failed to prove that these severe impacts can be successfully avoided, mitigated, or compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, the criteria for a Special Exception have not been met.I respectfully ask that the Land Use Board prioritize local residents, respect proper zoning intent, and reject the Krambu data center application.Thank you for your time, service, and consideration of the public record.

Dear Members of the Missoula County Consolidated Land Use Board, I am writing as a local resident and as a former professional city planner to formally request that the board DENY the Special Exception permit for the proposed Krambu AI data center at the former Bonner Mill site. Given my professional background in land-use planning, I understand the high legal threshold an applicant must meet to earn a Special Exception. An applicant must definitively prove complete operational compatibility with nearby residential properties and natural resources. This application fundamentally fails to meet that planning standard, posing direct and unmitigated risks to our local infrastructure, utility rate stability, and a fragile, newly restored ecosystem.I urge the board to deny this permit based on the following critical impacts: 1. Electrical Grid Strain and Cost Shifts to Ratepayers: While the developer claims that purchasing power from the grid will not inflate local consumer rates, the sheer scale of the project suggests otherwise. The initial phase demands 7 megawatts (MW), scaling rapidly to 29 MW, with long-term engineering projections pointing to a massive 100 MW draw. This exponential load heavily risks triggering expensive grid infrastructure upgrades and peak-demand strain from NorthWestern Energy. Under current frameworks, these multi-million dollar stabilization costs are routinely passed down to everyday Montana families and small businesses. We should not subsidize the immense power demands of an outside tech firm.; 2. High-Volume Water Consumption and Aquifer Depletion: Data centers are notoriously resource-intensive. Krambu's application outlines a cooling infrastructure consisting of a combination of adiabatic and evaporative cooling towers using an estimated 50,000 gallons of water per month drawn from an on-site well. Drawing thousands of gallons of water out of the shared water table risks impacting the domestic wells that surrounding residential properties rely on. Furthermore, the plan includes discharging roughly 5,000 gallons of wastewater monthly into localized treatment facilities. The temperature, chemical treatments, and contaminant load of this discharge pose unmitigated risks to our localized water systems and the neighboring Blackfoot River ecosystem.; 3. Incompatible Noise and Vibration Proximity: The proposed facility features up to 10 massive evaporative cooling towers located within 500 feet of residential property boundaries. The applicant's estimate of a 55 dB noise footprint is highly idealized and fails to account for continuous, 24/7 low-frequency hums and infrasonic vibrations. Constant low-frequency vibrations are known to cause structural resonance and severe sleep disruption for nearby residents. A continuous, industrial cooling complex of this scale is entirely incompatible with the historic character and peaceful quality of life in the Bonner-Milltown community.; 4. Undoing Decades of Blackfoot River Restoration: The Bonner-Milltown community has spent decades remediating historic industrial pollution from old mill operations and cooling ponds to successfully restore the Blackfoot River ecosystem. Introducing a heavy industrial data center within 500 feet of this sensitive watershed threatens to reverse this hard-won progress. The threat of thermal pollution from wastewater discharge risks raising river temperatures and devastating native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. Furthermore, the chemical anti-scaling additives required to run these cooling towers risk leaching into our shallow gravel aquifer. The board must protect our millions of dollars in public restoration investments and reject this ecological threat.ConclusionFrom a sound planning perspective, the economic and public trade-offs of this project are entirely unjust. For a massive 7 MW facility that heavily exploits our local power grid and watershed would amount to only 20 to 35 permanent jobs. This leaves our community with virtually no long-term employment or economic benefits while externalizing all of the severe ecological and financial risks onto the taxpayers of Missoula County. Because the applicant has failed to prove that these severe impacts can be successfully avoided, mitigated, or compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, the criteria for a Special Exception have not been met. I respectfully ask that the Land Use Board prioritize local residents, respect proper zoning intent, and reject the Krambu data center application.Thank you for your time, service, and consideration of the public record.

Every single data center is an absolute glutton for energy and resources. The companies that are building them constantly misrepresent and downplay the energy required to operate them and their effect on the surrounding environments. The last thing Montana needs is a giant data center, offering low range jobs, that sucks up our energy and resources. Non stop noise pollution and contaminating our water sources should be a non starter period. We are seeing wells and bodies of water being contaminated all over the nation and being exposed at public hearings on the federal level on a weekly basis. There is no need whatsoever for these centers in Montana. Montana should be left as is without slowly destroying it with these data centers. I strongly oppose any data centers within the state of Montana