Cumberland County commissioners are on the verge of hitting the brakes on new data-center projects, with a public hearing set for Monday evening. The possible moratorium follows weeks of fired-up neighbors crowding meetings to complain about noise, heavy water and power demands, and long-term contamination risks. It also comes two weeks after Fayetteville’s City Council voted to pause new data-center approvals for 120 days.
According to Cumberland County, the Board will take public comment at its regular evening session on May 18 in the commissioners’ meeting room, with sign-up instructions posted on the county website. The hearing follows county staff circulating a draft ordinance that would temporarily halt new approvals while officials write clearer rules.
What the draft would bar
As reported by CityView NC, the proposal would stop county planners from reviewing site plans and from issuing zoning or building permits for new data centers during the moratorium. The draft spells out what would count as a data center and says staff would use the pause to consult utilities, study public water-supply options, and craft site and noise standards.
Residents' health and water fears
Neighbors and community advocates have told reporters they are worried about long-term contamination and added stress on local water supplies. One organizer said she fears data-center operations could worsen existing PFAS problems and cited personal health impacts. ABC11 captured residents at recent meetings calling for tougher safeguards before any new projects move forward. The EPA describes PFAS as persistent “forever chemicals” that can contaminate drinking water and create long-term cleanup and health challenges.
Part of a statewide trend
The local debate is unfolding as communities across North Carolina pump the brakes on data-center growth. Counties and cities from Chatham and Orange to Wake and Harnett have adopted temporary pauses while they study the impacts, according to WUNC. Elected officials elsewhere are poring over the same concerns that keep surfacing in Cumberland County, including noise, water use, and grid capacity.
What comes next
The Board is scheduled to hear testimony at the May 18 meeting, then decide whether to adopt a moratorium and how long it should last. A legal advertisement tied to the draft signals that any pause would run at least 60 days. As CityView NC reported, County Attorney Rick Moorefield told commissioners that a yearlong pause would be “reasonable” while staff develop regulations and confer with utilities.
Fayetteville’s earlier 120-day pause was covered in a Hoodline piece that said the city slammed the brakes, and local leaders in both jurisdictions have said they expect plenty more public comment before any final decisions are made.
