Paddock Demands Strict Review of Google Data Center Wetlands Request
Fort Wayne City Councilman Geoff Paddock has written to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) urging it to apply the strictest environmental and permit review standards when considering Google's request to fill wetlands for its data center expansion.
The move comes after developers submitted a request to IDEM to fill 2.13 acres of forested, isolated wetlands in order to construct three new buildings as part of the third phase of the data center's expansion.
A public hearing on the request is set for August 25, and Paddock notes that many constituents have expressed opposition to the plan due to environmental concerns.
In his letter to IDEM, Paddock pointed out that Google did not mention its desire to take over wetlands when the city council first approved property rezoning for the data center in 2023.