BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah — After weeks of intense brushback against a proposed data center in Box Elder County, a decision on whether to allow the public to vote on the controversial project's approval is expected Thursday.
The Box Elder County Attorney’s Office has said it will announce its decision to approve or deny referendum applications filed against the Stratos Project in the late afternoon.
Earlier this month, the Box Elder Accountability Referendum (BEAR) group filed applications for referendums that, if allowed by the county attorney, would move things a step closer towards putting the facility on the ballot.
The referendum application filings came after weeks of dispute over the proposed 40,000-acre facility that many fear will cause environmental issues in the rural area of Box Elder County. The project, backed by reality television star Kevin O'Leary, was granted approval by county commissioners on May 4.
Protesters confront Box Elder County commissioners who approved Stratos Project data center:
If the referendum applications are given the green light, BEAR organizers would then have 45 days to gather over 5,000 signatures in order to place the data center's approval on the November ballot and into the hands of county voters.
Earlier this week, House Speaker Mike Schultz shared that he backed a citizen referendum on the project, saying, "This is ultimately a local decision, and I support allowing the community to make that decision based on facts and good information."
