To the Editor:

Amid mounting data center opposition, the Massena Planning Board canceled its rescheduled meeting with no new date. It shows a "complete discredit and disregard for our community’s voices,” which Suzanne Patnode said of the Town Board at our Campaign for a Nuclear-Free North Country launch.

While Mayor Paquin said we're “outside groups from other communities,” Suzanne lives in Massena and is deeply concerned about the impact of nuclear and data centers on her young daughter’s future. As president of Seaway Parkinson’s Coalition, Suzanne cares for former Reynolds and Alcoa retirees suffering from severe neurological diseases linked to industrial pollution that Alcoa settled $19.4 million for.

Data center wastewater and "forever chemicals" from chips in landfills could contaminate our drinking water. Furthermore, NYDIG's expansion near Superfund sites threatens PCB release into the St. Lawrence River because data centers increase land-surface temperatures by up to 16.4°F per Yale School of the Environment. The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe attributes its cancer rates—among our country’s highest—to PCBs.

Despite Assemblyman Gray claiming an energy shortage justifies nuclear, he urged vetoing the legislature’s data center moratorium. All 11 Massena proposals in the NYISO Interconnection Queue would drain 5.23 GW–over 6.5 times the dam's output.

Bloomberg reported power bills soar after building data centers because ratepayers absorb the up to 267% wholesale electricity price increases. Gray said data centers—that 71% of Americans don’t want near them—make nuclear "bankable.” That’s admitting nuclear is “too expensive” alone.

The 5 GW of new nuclear in NY would cost $100+ billion per Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media. NYSERDA’s $23.9 billion estimate is so low because it’s based on just 25 years of operation, the government assuming 80% of construction debt, tax credits never expiring, and us bailing out Wall Street through a "state cost overrun guarantee." BCG reported "100%+ capital cost overruns are common on recent New Nuclear builds" to NYPA. Georgians pre-paid $1,000 for 2.2 GW of nuclear that cost $36.8 billion–a 163% overrun contributing to annual power bills soaring $516.

While we subsidize $100,000,000,000+ nuclear reactors, all their electricity would go to polluting data centers. “The data center to nuclear pipeline must be stopped” – MUSH’s Ronni Sunday in her speech co-written by Abraham Francis.



NY's "Home Rule" means the Executive Order doesn't block local approvals. The Planning Board must deny proposals, while Massena passes the moratorium our county legislature urged.

Campaign For A Nuclear-Free North Country
Keith Frey
Colton