Allegheny DC Propco LLC, also known as Dynamo DC, proposes a hyperscale data center on the site of the former Cheswick Generating Station.
Springdale Borough approved the project’s zoning in December 2025. The project must still meet Allegheny County’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, and Allegheny County Economic Development is now reviewing the application.
The county’s Sept. 16 review letter included 97 comments on the application. Mackin Engineering, the county’s engineering consultant, put it plainly: “As submitted, the plan does not conform to the Allegheny County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance standards.”
The reviews found:
-- Arsenic and other pollutants in the soil, and no state-approved plan for cleanup
-- No sign-off from the Allegheny County Health Department
-- Diesel backup generators, at ground level across the street from houses, with nothing in the plans to muffle their noise or control their exhaust
“I remember having to clean off outdoor furniture every morning because the soot from the smokestack was so thick,” said Cathy Mager, a lifelong Springdale resident. “I believe this contributed to many residents’ health issues. I was happy to think our town might finally have less pollution. But now we are facing a data center that will cause the same problems.”
“This development will have a wide-ranging impact on the AK Valley, and decisions about it shouldn’t be taken lightly,” said Erin Cochran of New Kensington. “We must demand more than the bare minimum from these developers. The billionaires’ boot is on our neck whether we lick it or not, and we must resist and speak out. Our lives depend on it.”
Rachel Carson grew up in Springdale, and her 1962 book Silent Spring helped launch the modern environmental movement.
Sixty-four years later, her hometown, a designated environmental justice community, is still fighting for clean air.
For generations, Springdale families lived in the shadow of the power plant’s smokestacks.
The Pennsylvania Constitution guarantees residents a right to clean air and pure water, held in trust for “generations yet to come.”
Rally speakers say the county’s own reviews leave those rights unprotected.
How To Submit Comments
Members of Allegheny County and surrounding communities may comment on the application.
Written comments are due Nov. 30, 2026, by email to ACEDPlanning@alleghenycounty.us, or by postal mail to: Allegheny County Economic Development, Planning Division, Attn: Matthew Trepal, 436 Seventh Ave., Suite 500, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
Residents can also submit comments digitally using the online form provided on the official Allegheny County Springdale Data Center project page.
The county must issue a decision by Jan. 26, 2027.
Related Articles This Week:
-- FracTracker Alliance: A.I. Data Center Developers Propose 12.5 GW Of Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants To Feed 12 Data Center Projects In Southwest PA [PaEN]
-- PennLive/LehighvalleyLive: Pennsylvania Now Has 80 Sites Targeted For A.I. Data Centers Statewide; We’ve Mapped, Tracked Each One
-- The Center Square: DEP Data Center Tracker Webpage Maps 73 Proposed/Unconfirmed A.I. Data Centers
-- Consumer Alert! If You Shopped For Your Electric, Natural Gas Supplier In 2024, You Paid $350 Million Too Much For Energy [PaEN]
-- Penn State Dickinson Law School Hosts Nov. 5 In-Person Symposium On A.I. Data Centers - A Problem-Solving Approach [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- WVIA Podcast: How And Why Electric, Natural Gas, Water Rates Are Increasing
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Why EQT Wants To Acquire Range Resources: Capture Growing Demand For Data Centers, Exports, Cut Operating Expenses $325 Million
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT Natural Gas Driller To Acquire Range Resources In $50 Billion All Stock Deal
[Posted: October 28, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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