BRIGHAM CITY, Utah — More than three weeks after the Box Elder County Commission decided to green-light a massive data center, hundreds came to Brigham City to voice their continued frustration over the Stratos Project.
Those opposed to the proposed data center showed up on Wednesday from across northern Utah.
“I’m a single mother from Eagle Mountain. I made a rant [on social media] to meet up here at one of their meetings, and it just kind of exploded!" said protest organizer Tiffany Larson.
Many of those who protested outside the courthouse were from diverging ideological backgrounds.
“I look around here, this is probably not my type of crowd. So what do we all have in common? We don’t like being treated poorly,” shared former Utah State Rep. Phil Lyman.
The protesters coalesced around a general feeling of being unheard.
“Together, we can make them listen," shouted Brigitte Cottam to a cheering crowd.
MIDA violated state law in approval process of Box Elder County data center, group claims:
Having grown up in nearby Willard, Cottam is part of the Box Elder Accountability Referendum group (BEAR), and hopes the listening happens through the possibility of a referendum that currently hangs in the balance of county officials.
“Tomorrow, we should be hearing back on approval or denial of the referendum," said Cottam. "Tomorrow, no matter what they say, we hit the ground running.”
At the rally, protestors took their concerns into the county commission chambers, where many first learned of the 40,000-acre plan.
“Every year we pray for rain… we’re worried about our water. We live it in the desert. Utah’s a special place, and we need to treat it with the love and respect it deserves," said Box Elder County resident Elizabeth Hulbert.
As the commissioners listened to an hour’s worth of comments without reply, the angry locals made sure their message got across to county leaders and those behind the project.
“I didn’t see any buses. I’m trusting none of you got paid to show up," BEAR organizer Farrah Pilled asked the crowd. “You woke up all the ‘BEARS’. An entire state of them. All these angry BEARS against one shark. Good luck, you’ve got quite the fight ahead of you.”
Earlier Wednesday, a water rights change application for the Stratos Project had been pulled for the second time. Murray Hollow L.C. withdrew the application that had about 700 official protests written against it. All of that money will again go to the state’s general fund, and none will be refunded to the protesters who filed them.
