BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah — The number of Utahns who oppose the proposed data center in Box Elder County continues to grow.
And it’s showing up in a variety of ways. Many people are doing little things, hoping they add up.
Like paying a fee to formally protest water rights transfers online.
And getting people together to make signs for upcoming protests.
Artist Chrissy Richards said she felt the need to get involved.
“So we can’t stand by and do nothing so we can gather cardboard, get out paint and let the community come out express their concerns," said Richards.
Richards is with Making Waves art collaborative, a local group of artists and organizers dedicated to protecting the Great Salt Lake.
Richards and her daughter, Clementine, brought the raw materials to Liberty Park on Thursday and invited folks to make signs for protests against the proposed data center in Box Elder County.
Richards said it felt like the right thing to do.
“To me, this is like the perfect antidote to, you know…high power, big money, remote interest. This is like hyperlocal; this is cheap or free. This is people in the community.”
Adrian Morales and his one-year-old son, Nico, joined in. Morales said he was thinking of Nico’s future.
“I completely support the protest. I think 9 gigawatts of additional power in the state is more than we are producing now, so it’s gonna be kinda hard to do that. Great Salt Lake is obviously a big worry of mine, especially with this little one," said Morales.
Other Utahns like Cagney Smullin are officially protesting the transfer of water rights. Water that could go to the data center.
Smullin said she was happy to do it and hopes state leaders are listening.
“I’m putting my money where my mouth is, like you need to pay attention to this and at the very least, do the environmental work to make sure this is not going to cause harm.”
Smullin was among the first of now more than 400 people who have paid $15 to protest the water sale, saying it was money well spent.
“It’s like, yeah, I’ll give you my money to try to stop this. This is [sic] worth fighting for. Utah is a good place that’s worth fighting for to keep it a good place.”
