A quiet stretch of the Ohio River in Franklin Furnace is suddenly the stage for a billion dollar showdown, as residents gear up for a high profile state hearing on a wetland permit tied to a proposed Google data center campus.
The project, pitched as a roughly $1 billion, 500,000 square foot complex, has already split the community over wetlands, water quality, and traffic. Wednesday night’s proceedings are one of the few formal chances locals will have to speak directly to state environmental regulators before a decision is made.
According to the Ohio EPA, the agency’s Division of Surface Water will hold a public information session and hearing on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Green High School, 4057 Gallia Pike in Franklin Furnace. The public notice for the case (Public Notice No. 262431W) states that officials will collect both oral and written testimony at the hearing, and that written comments will be accepted through next Wednesday. The notice also says the application and supporting documents are posted on the agency’s permit webpage.
Industry trackers estimate the planned campus at about 500,000 square feet with an investment of roughly $1 billion, per DataCenterDynamics. As reported by WSAZ, Scioto County commissioners have already approved a 75 percent property tax abatement over 15 years under a payment in lieu of taxes agreement that would start at $500,000 a year. Google told WSAZ it is “considering a potential data center project in Scioto County.”
Neighbors and local groups have pushed back hard, warning about the loss of wetlands, stormwater runoff into the Ohio River, and heavy truck traffic on narrow rural roads, according to the Scioto Valley Guardian. Earlier community meetings this year reportedly drew standing room only crowds and pointed questions about the project’s physical footprint and water needs.
What the Ohio EPA Hearing Will Decide
The Ohio EPA’s public notice says officials are reviewing an Isolated Wetland Level 3 permit application and conducting an antidegradation analysis under state rules, according to the Ohio EPA. The hearing is designed to collect evidence and public input that will factor into whether the agency allows any lowering of existing water quality.
The notice cites procedures under the Ohio Revised Code and Ohio Administrative Code and explains that the comment period creates a formal window for the public to request a contested case, provided specific statutory conditions are met.
What Neighbors Say They Stand To Lose
Residents say they are worried about altered wetland hydrology, spikes in truck traffic, and potential changes to riverfront habitat used by local anglers and recreationists, per reporting from the Scioto Valley Guardian. Supporters counter that the project could bring a wave of construction jobs and a steady stream of PILOT payments to help fund local services. Those tradeoffs have become the core of the community’s ongoing argument over whether the data center fits the character of the area.
How Franklin Furnace Fits Into Ohio’s Data Center Boom
The Franklin Furnace proposal would join a broader surge of hyperscale data center construction across Ohio and follows Google’s earlier multi hundred million dollar builds in New Albany and other parts of the state, analysts say. DataCenterDynamics reports that major cloud operators are increasingly looking to rural counties where power infrastructure and abundant land can support sprawling campuses.
Wednesday’s hearing starts at 6 p.m. For those who cannot attend in person, written comments can be submitted to Ohio EPA‑DSW by email at [email protected] or by mail to Ohio EPA–DSW, Attention: Permits Processing Unit, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, OH 43216‑1049. Regulators say both written and oral statements will become part of the official record as they complete their review of the Tilted Gate LLC permit application.
