An Open Letter to Mayor Woodfin about the Nebuis Data Center

Dear Mayor Woodfin and Members of the Birmingham City Council,

On behalf of many residents in the Hoover, Homewood and Bessemer area, we are asking you to pause the permitting process for the Nebuis Oxmoor Valley Data Center until independent state or city funded studies are conducted to guarantee that this development will not negatively affect the quality of life for surrounding residents.

Transparency and community engagement are essential, and currently, many residents have not received the information they deserve. This project seems to be moving through an approval process without meaningful notification or involvement from the surrounding neighborhoods. Our region has a history of environmental justice issues, including environmental racism. Placing a large industrial project in an economically vulnerable area without careful consideration from community members is alarming.

We are also seeking a deeper understanding of the company Nebius. Nebius Group emerged from the restructuring of technology group, Yandex. Yandex was developed in Russia and restructured after Russia invaded Ukraine. After Russia’s invasion, Yandex and Nebius Group founder Arkady Volozh, were sanctioned by the EU. While we understand Volozh renounced Russian citizenship and now lives in Israel, we would still like to know how this company will provide security for our data given the current political climate and are asking the city to complete due diligence before a project of this scale is implemented from a foreign company.

In addition, the potential environmental impact is deeply concerning. We do not feel like we have gotten the answers needed. AI Data centers have proven to be very resource intensive, especially on a local scale. This is not an abstract future threat- this facility will be within a mile from many of our homes. We demand independent studies to be conducted to answer questions surrounding water consumption, water quality, heat generation and heat island effects, noise pollution, energy demand and long-term environmental effects. While those closest will be most impacted, these issues do not stop at municipal boundaries and could affect wildlife and residents across the entire state.

This facility would also be located near not just homes, but schools including Oxmoor Valley Elementary, Spring Valley, the Greater Birmingham Humane Society and Hand in Hand Early Learning Program. These organizations represent populations who can be sensitive to environmental stimuli. This is even more reason for the city to slow down the permitting process, ask hard questions, and involve the community.

While the city could benefit from potential tax revenue, AI data centers are often not profitable. They currently have lots of investment, based on a debt loop, which raises concerns about the long-term economic viability of data centers, especially compared to their demands on resources. Investment does not always mean tax revenue, and this is a huge gamble to take lightly.

Many employees of Birmingham businesses live in the area close to the data center. One of the main draws to Birmingham and the surrounding area is quality of life around affordable housing. If this center causes quality of life to decrease, Birmingham may see a further “brain-drain,” of workforce. Tax revenue could actually decrease. While this project is sure to create valuable construction jobs, these jobs will end. Residents are asking for thoughtful analysis based on comparable projects of long term employment opportunities.

We celebrate all the wonderful things Birmingham has to offer and are incredibly proud of our city and thank you for your dedication to bringing meaningful growth. We welcome economic and technological growth, as those provided the opportunities for many of us to live here. Residents are just asking that growth be done in a careful and considerate manner with real questions answered.

Talking points from a foreign company are not enough to give us peace of mind. Residents deserve to understand how this project will affect water, utilities, environment, property values, and overall quality of life. AI data centers, such as this one, have caused great strife in other communities, consuming more water and electricity than residencies in an entire city and creating long term environmental degradation.

Please slow the permitting process down until these questions can be thoroughly addressed through independent study and meaningful public engagement.

We care deeply about Birmingham and are proud of the progress the city has made in recent years. Our families love this community and want to see it continue to grow in a way that protects both its residents and its future.

Thank you for your time, your service to this community, and your thoughtful consideration of these concerns.

Respectfully,
Liz Lane
Loren Gibson
Sarah DeArmond
Christian Coleman 
Diane Tittlette 
Wayne Rogers 
AshLeigh Dunham 
Haley Dewar 
Sara McDaniel 
Gillian Puffer
Madhura Hallman 
Ruth Crawford Ash
Catherine Dorosh 
Robin Cox

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