On the agenda: Luzerne County meeting — data center (Apr 14)

City Hall Public Testimony - Motion to Table Hiring of Mr. Ritsick - April 14, 2026

I stand here tonight with a direct and urgent request: this vote to hire Mr. Ritsick must be
tabled.

This is not about stopping a hiring decision. This is about stopping a rushed and
uninformed vote tied directly to the Greater Hazleton Area Thrive 2035 Plan.

On this very same evening that County leadership is attempting to move forward on Mr.
Ritsick, his employer, Hailstone Economics, is actively presenting the Greater Hazleton
Area Thrive 2035 Plan; a comprehensive three-municipality development strategy
impacting Hazleton, Hazle Township, and West Hazleton. How many of you here tonight

and how many on Luzerne County Council have actually seen and been formally briefed on
this municipal proposal?

This lack of transparency is not a coincidence. That is a failure of process, no county
briefing, and public accountability.

You are being asked by the Luzerne County Executive to act on this hiring before the public
and before this body, has even seen or fully understood the Thrive 2035 Plan.
That is reckless governance.

2

As clearly documented that two of the three municipalities within the Greater Hazleton
Area Thrive 2035 Plan rank above the 80th percentile on the Pennsylvania DEP
PennEnviroScreen Mapping Tool. https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url2u=https-
3A__gis.dep.pa.gov PennEnviroScreen_&d=DwM FaQ&c=euGZstcaTDilvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-
vSA_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=ClizGjsOU8bS8RsAOHZCbk8DDNorgaaCdN1xYszGkB4&m=x1Nrehu
OK7gwaUHU_DIBCfB_3YholtGCJqf20z0TU7QbsWEaW4HB-
eTsueg5fpSh&s=VkPjgviqyoGtZ72p3hjCtz¥647F2GpN7kcnMW9fmpBl&e=.

That designation triggers heightened Environmental Justice obligations due to cumulative
pollution burdens and documented public health risks.
Yet the Thrive 2035 Plan fails to meaningfully address:

e Cumulative environmental exposure

e Legacy contamination across Southern Luzerne County

e Disproportionate public health risks

e Required Environmental Justice protections and citizen engagement

That is not an oversight. That is a critical failure in the plan itself.
Further, under Goal 8 of the Greater Hazleton Area Thrive 2035 Plan, there is a complete

lack of transparency around high-impact development, including data centers.
The facts are clear:

e Approximately 350,000 gallons of grey water proposed for diversion for data center
cooling

e An additional 30,000 gallons of potable water proposed to be withdrawn from
surrounding communities, including Eagle Rock and East Union Township

e Continuous, industrial-scale demand that will materially alter regional water
systems

There has been no dedicated public process to evaluate these impacts.
None.
At the same time, these developments will bring:

e Increased emissions from diesel and methane-based energy generation
e PM2.5, NOx, and ozone precursor pollution
e Constant noise, vibration, and 24/7 light pollution

And all of this is being proposed within communities already designated as Environmental
Justice areas under the Thrive 2035 Plan footprint.

That is indefensible.

And yet tonight, you are being asked to move forward on a key Luzerne County hiring
decision directly tied to the execution of this plan; before the public has had a single
meaningful opportunity to review, question, or respond to it.

That is not due diligence. That is predetermined decision-making.

Southern Luzerne County is already underrepresented in this process. Advancing this vote
tonight, while the Thrive 2035 Plan is being presented elsewhere, only deepens that
inequity and undermines public trust.

Let me be clear:
This vote must be tabled.
Not delayed—tabled until:

e A full public hearing on the Greater Hazleton Area Thrive 2035 Plan is held in the
impacted communities

e Hailstone Economics and Mr. Ritsick present that plan in person before this body

e Full disclosure of environmental, infrastructure, and public health impacts is
provided

e Residents are given a real, not symbolic, opportunity to respond

Tabling this motion is not obstruction. It is responsible governance.

Anything less will be seen for exactly what it is; an attempt to advance the Thrive 2035
Plan in Southern Luzerne County without transparency, without accountability, and
without the informed consent of the communities most affected.

We will not accept that. | urge this Council to table this hiring decision for this meeting and
determine the public consequences of this Tri municipal planning redesign.

Thank you.

Todd Eachus

Concerned Southern Luzerne County Resident
15 Wyeth Place

Drums PA 18222