Above: Watch Tammy Clark and Kristen Meghan Kelly’s Data Center Town Hall Tour stop in Fargo
By: Geoff Simon
MANDAN, N.D. – Health Freedom North Dakota hosted a town hall Tuesday evening at the Historic Mandan Depot to inform residents about growing interest from data center developers in the state, with guest speakers providing regulatory and zoning strategies that could effectively halt hyperscale projects while insisting they support responsible technological advancement.
The event, part of the nonprofit’s informational tour, attracted an overflow crowd of about 200 locals worried about impacts on agriculture, water resources, rural character, and quality of life. Organizers framed the session as educational rather than anti-development, focusing on health, environmental, and economic considerations tied to large-scale AI-driven facilities.
Alexis Wangler, president and founder of the 501(c)(3) organization who hails from Linton, opened the gathering. A rural mail carrier, entrepreneur, and homeschooling mother of four daughters ages 8, 7, 5, and 2, Wangler co-founded Health Freedom North Dakota in October 2019. The group says its mission is to educate North Dakotans on healthcare options, advocate for freedom-expanding policies, and shield consumers from fraud, harm, and misinformation. Wangler highlighted the organization’s grassroots funding, relying on small donations rather than major donors, and encouraged attendees to sign up for updates or contribute via the website, Venmo, PayPal, or checks. She offered custom beanies as thank-yous for $100 contributions.
Wangler introduced the featured speakers: Tammy Clark and Kristen Meghan Kelly, industrial hygienists and occupational/environmental health professionals based in Michigan, who have advised communities across the country. Clark and Kelly met in 2020 after bonding over concerns that pandemic policies contradicted their professional training. They gained prominence testifying on health freedoms, including at the World Health Organization in Geneva, and entered the data center debate following a Michigan family’s request for help against a proposed hyperscale facility near a multi-generational farm.
The pair described themselves as “exposure scientists” specializing in hazard recognition, evaluation, and control under OSHA, EPA, and DOT frameworks. Clark emphasized their work across sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, and construction. Kelly, a former U.S. Air Force bioenvironmental engineer and radiation/laser safety officer with 24 years of experience, stressed preventing occupational risks from spilling into communities.
“Why is North Dakota so enticing?” Clark asked the audience.
TShe pointed to rural land availability, existing power transmission, water resources, and lenient agricultural zoning. Clark compared the state’s appeal to other Heartland targets like Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, referencing investor discussions that highlighted the region’s potential for large developments. She warned that initial promises of jobs and economic boosts often fail to materialize long-term, citing experiences with solar, wind, and battery projects that left landowners with contamination or decommissioning costs.
The speakers distinguished hyperscale data centers, enormous facilities with massive power and cooling demands, from traditional, edge, or colocation centers that have handled everyday computing for decades.
“We are not anti-data centers. I’m not anti-innovation, I’m not anti-technology.” Kelly said, “I’ve been into crypto mining before it was cool… So we’re not against these things, we’re against the reckless rollout of hyperscale data centers, which, by the way, we don’t need. They’re already outdated.”
Claims that hyperscale data centers are unnecessary overlook substantial industry forecasts. Analyses project sharp U.S. growth in data center capacity through 2030, potentially doubling or tripling, driven by AI workloads, cloud services, and exploding data volumes. Hyperscalers are expected to drive a large share of demand. While efficiency improvements and smaller facilities play roles, hyperscale infrastructure remains central for high-density computing needs.
Clark and Kelly outlined multiple concerns with hyperscale facilities. They highlighted 24/7 tonal noise, or low-frequency infrasound, which they said travels long distances and penetrates structures. Kelly explained it is measured differently from standard audible noise and linked to stress hormone elevation, sleep disruption, irritability, and impacts on children, the elderly, and livestock such as reduced milk production or breeding issues. Clark addressed water consumption, noting large facilities can use millions of gallons daily for evaporative cooling, straining rivers and basins in the state. She advocated for alternative methods like immersion cooling used in Europe and urged prioritizing municipal and agricultural needs.
Additional issues raised included air emissions from extensive diesel backup generators, construction dust, security lighting causing light pollution, and potential chemical discharges. The speakers recommended local actions such as aligning master plans with zoning maps, requiring detailed environmental and acoustic studies, mandating alternative cooling, establishing large setbacks, and considering moratoriums for expert review. They criticized regulatory gaps and urged transparency, rejecting nondisclosure agreements for public officials.
The presentation did not address the benefits of considerable local property tax revenue that would be generated by a data center. Dickey County, which hosts a data center outside Ellendale, projects $2.1 million annually in property taxes from the Applied Digital data center recently completed in the county.
Clark told the crowd, “If you do things right, they can’t make you do anything.” She added, “They cannot force you to change zoning… That’s why we’ve said the more local the issue is, the more power we, the people, actually do have.” Kelly encouraged contacting health departments and acoustic engineers, and preparing documentation for potential legal challenges once operations begin.
The presentation blended technical explanations with broader appeals to unity across political lines, describing data center impacts as a shared threat to property values, food security, and rural lifestyles. Attendees were invited to ask questions and stay engaged through the nonprofit’s network.
Health Freedom North Dakota’s next Data Center Town Hall Tour stop will be in Watford City on Thursday, July 9 at the Rough Rider Center from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.
