Yellowstone County commissioners have agreed to discuss an interim emergency zoning ordinance that could pause a proposed data center project in Broadview following an emotional public meeting Tuesday.
Watch Yellowstone County Commission data center story here:
The grassroots group Yellowstone County Voices has been pushing commissioners to use emergency interim zoning to stop Quantica from building a data center just south of Broadview.
The group previously gathered signatures to put the project to a public vote but missed the submission deadline after county officials gave them the wrong date.
Kassi Solberg, who leads Yellowstone County Voices, said commissioners have the power to put the proposed 5,000-acre data center on hold.
"Noise, you know, all the hazards that we know that come with data centers because we know this now," said Brian Miller, Solberg's attorney.
Miller pointed to a state law stating county commissioners may establish an interim zoning district or interim regulation to address an emergency involving public health, safety, morals, or general welfare.
"It's emergency interim zoning ordinance 76-2-206," Solberg said. "Yes, and that's well within their general powers."
Commissioner Mark Morse pushed back, saying the county does not have that authority.
"Those are just powers we do not possess," Morse said.
In a written response to the Tuesday meeting, Morse added that Yellowstone County's authority and powers are limited.
"Most of the authority that rests at issue in this dispute is reserved to the state of Montana," Moore wrote.
Attorney Gene Jarussi argued that state law does give commissioners the ability to review local impacts.
"To large-scale data centers, there's a lot of weighty questions," Jarussi said. "None of them easily answered. All of them pretty complex."
The tense exchange continued into the hallways, where some residents questioned whether commissioners had been working too closely with the developer.
Morse later said he has not spoken with Quantica since the company first approached the county about the project.
Quantica told MTN News it does communicate with county officials, focusing on how the company will create jobs and generate property tax revenue.
The commission is expected to discuss the emergency zoning request at its Aug. 27 meeting in Billings.
Here is the email response from a Quantica spokesman Travis Hall:
"Like other businesses owners and job creators, as well as journalists and citizens, including recent Stillwater County resident and chief opponent of Big Sky Digital Infrastructure who acknowledges in her lawsuit that she has met with one of the Yellowstone county commissioners as well as the county attorney’s office, company officials communicate with county officials, focusing on how the company will pay its own way for power, protect our Montana way of life and resources, create good-paying Montana jobs, and generate substantial property tax revenue and community benefit."
“As you know, we host weekly office hours, answer common questions on a FAQ page on our website, and make ourselves available to address questions and concerns about our project. We will continue to share project updates with all stakeholders as development progresses and follow the regulatory process for any and all permitting required for our project."
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