Stop-work order issued after neighbours complain of 'constant, dull hum' at data centre

Happy Valley-Goose Bay has issued a stop-work order on a data centre that prompted complaints from itsneighboursto the town council, which itself is trying to find out more information about a business that set up in a residential area inwhat a councillor calls "the middle of the night."

"It's very concerning to me that this would be occurring in my neighbourhood," said Doreen Hawco-Mahoney, who lives acrossfrom the data centre on St. Laurent Street.

She recently noticed six new power poles being erected near the business, which operates with such a low profile there are no signs to indicate its name or what it does.

CBC News has been unable to reach the owner of the business, while the owner of the property would not comment.

"[It] leads me to believe that there's going to be further transmission systems put in place to support further expansion in the building," said Hawco-Mahoney.

Data centres are large warehouses for computers and hard drives processing information.

They are often criticized for the amount of noise they generate and the large amounts of power they consume.

'Fire is a concern'

Hawco-Mahoney said she believes the facility had been operating for at least three years.

She said there's no snow clearing around the building in the winter, which would make it difficult for fire crews to access the building.

"I just find that it's a constant, dull hum. It's not particularly bothersome to me but some of the other neighbours around the area have found it bothersome to them,"Hawco-Mahoneysaid.

"Fire is a concern to me. I am unsure if there is a fire suppression system in that building."

Hawco-Mahoneysaid she was never asked for any input on the addition of the data centre to the neighbourhood.

We're certainly not against data centres, we just want to make sure that they operate within the confines of our town's development regulations.-Bert Pomeroy

"In terms of the data centre getting bigger or expanding in my residential area I see the economic benefits for the owner growing, whereas I see the economic benefit to me and [my]quality of life diminishing,"Hawco-Mahoneysaid.

"I just feel that they should be located in an area that's conducive to that kind of industry and that's not in a residential neighbourhood."

'Under a cloud of darkness'

"The business came in under a cloud of darkness, in the middle of the night, set up operations unbeknownst to the town that was the first mistake," said Deputy Mayor BertPomeroy.

"[It] didn't seek the proper approvals, proper permitting and did not follow the town's development regulations."

The town said the area where the data centre set up shop is in a mixed development zone, and data centres must be in areas that are classified as general industry.

Pomeroysaid the operation popped up well over a year ago without letting the town know.

He said the community constable was eventually informed that a couple of warehouses were consuming a large amount of power.

"The initial thought [was]therewas a marijuana grow-op or something on the go that would require a lot of power [but] upon further investigation it was found there was data centres," Pomeroy said.

"We're certainly not against data centres, we just want to make sure that they operate within the confines of our town's development regulations."

Newfoundland and LabradorHydro said it stopped upgrading the electrical service for the business afterit was informed by the business owner about the stop-work order the town has put in place.

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