Let’s makes our voices heard at April 7 meeting
Fellow Brantley County Residents, I’m James Duncan, and I’m speaking up about the critical issues surrounding the proposed Ordinance, landfill and data center, and the uncertainty of the property’s future.
Given the recent developments of the landfill wishing to sell for $14 million, our commissioners past offer of $10 million, and the confirmation from the Brantley County group’s lawyer recently printed in the news, I believe it’s crucial we address the potential risks and protect our community’s interests.
The county’s plans for the remaining $4 million requested for the property are unclear. The possibility of an unknown entity buying it raises concerns. With the landfill permit still attached, the threat of a landfill isn’t entirely gone.
I’ve been working on the ordinance, focusing on preventing a combination of a landfill and data center, and advocating for stronger, environmental protections be added into the ordinance.
I had been working under the assumption the data center group would buy the property. I’ve been gathering information from the EPA website to inform my efforts.
In fact, the last letter sent to the partnership proposed a starting date of 2028 for the thermal treatment solid waste management facility, giving all indications the landfill facility was progressing. I was operating on data that was documented not opinion based.
Given the new information on March 26, 2026, I’m calling on Brantley County residents to join me in urging the commission to: 1. Continue working on the ordinance, however pause applying any ordinance until we have more information and clarification.
2. Hold off on approving any application by moratorium, if necessary, for a data center until the property’s future is clearer.
The proposed thermal treatment solid waste management facility could dispose of 8,000 tons per day, making it considered a high-capacity facility. With 120 acres available, it’s essential we prioritize our environment and community.
A 20-acre area can handle 8,000 tons per day, and statements that a landfill wouldn’t be profitable are unfounded.
• https://www.epa.gov/smm/energy-recovery- combustion-municipal-solid-waste-msw • https://www.epa.gov/hwpermitting/hazardous- waste-management-facilities-andunits
• https://www.epa.gov/rcra/resource-conservation- and-recovery-act-rcra-regulations I consider myself a realist, and given this company’s history of operating in most people’s opinion illegally, I believe it’s crucial we proceed with caution. Let’s make our voices heard on April 7 at the commission meeting!
Join me in asking the commission to prioritize transparency, protect Brantley County’s environment and interests, and provide answers to the many unanswered questions.
And, to hold on any action involving the property until we have a better understanding of the situation and issues that may arise from this new information.
Your participation matters! Let’s work together to safeguard our community’s future. Show your support by attending the meeting.
And, commissioners reading this, I suggest you use the courthouse for this meeting. I believe you are going to have a large response to the new information and questions you will receive.
You may be able to address some of the questions at the start of the meeting to ease any tension in the room.
As we all know, this is a difficult topic and after 10 years of waiting for the hammer to fall, it’s a hot topic.
If you decide to use the courthouse, find a method to get the information out prior to the meeting date.
The plain and simple truth to kill the landfill
Please remember the landfill is being built. It’s not a maybe. It IS under construction.
The commissioners have two choices, 1) approve the ordinance that limits the data center so it must produce its own electricity, must use water from the holding pond recirculating it and keep the noise to acceptable levels at the property line or 2) let the landfill be finished and millions of tons of trash trucked into Waynesville.
Those are the only two options no matter what others may suggest. If you don’t own the property, you can’t provide options. Property rights are funny that way.
A few facts about the potential data center and sand mine project that need to be REPEATED. First and foremost, yes if this company buys the land and builds the data center and sand mine there will be NO Solid Waste Landfill.
The new team proposing to purchase the property has nothing to do with the current owners, other than this transaction to buy the land. These are all new faces.
This has nothing to do with Bitcoin. This is a long-term system with major Fortune 500 companies and/or government entities. The first phase probably would be three attractive buildings that anyone would be proud to drive up to and work. The second phase would likely be the same.
The data center project will bring in a natural gas pipeline from the edge of Glynn County along 82 or CSX rights of way. There won’t be any eminent domain issues on private property.
That gas line could later continue to Nahunta to feed the pellet mill and Hoboken to feed the sawmill, if they so desire. This would bring the county double or triple the sales tax on the sale of natural gas.
And, it would provide the gas company with a much-needed cross connection between the two north-south lines to facilitate maintenance. And it will STOP THE LANDFILL.
They will use that natural gas to create their own electricity. So, there is no impact to our electricity bills. Our men and women know how to run power plants and will have jobs. They do it at pulp mills every day.
In a meeting with the OREMC, they welcomed that news and offered their support. In Brunswick, there are three natural gas turbines in use today to manage load swings every day and every night. It is the cleanest way to make enough power that you can run a facility.
And, the county and school board will bring in about $500,000 a year in sales tax on the sale of that Gas. And it will STOP THE LANDFILL.
The large lake that was dug on the property to build the foundation for the landfill will be used as water to cool the systems. That water is circulated from the pond to the chillers and back to the pond.
The only well-water needed is to maintain the level in the pond. This will be no more than the water pumped from an irrigation pivot, in fact it should be less.
Three pulp mills just closed that use about 40 million gallons of water a day each. So, our water table is better off than in many years. And this project will STOP THE LANDFILL.
The construction will be done in such a way to meet noise levels defined in the ordnance, and the facility is in the middle of 2,300 acres. Noise will not be an issue. And this project will STOP THE LANDFILL.
The data center project brings over 100 well-paying jobs. Do not sell our people short, our people can absolutely fill these positions once trained.
The sand mine project brings even more, and we certainly have people who know how to work the land. The estimated addition to Brantley County’s tax digest is between $250 -$350 million (or about 50 percent increase) for the data center and the sand mine combined.
Based on conversation with the Tax Commissioner, with a taxable value of $350 million based on last year’s millage rate, the combined data center and sand mine facilities would pay a combined school and county tax bill of about $3.6 million dollars PER YEAR.
The county only asked for about $5 million in local effort this year, and Brantley County Schools asked for about $6 million for a total of $11 million.
This project’s tax payment would cover 33% of what the Brantley County taxpayers were asked to pay this year.
So, your taxes could be reduced by 33% when this project is 100% online. Since computers are upgraded every 36 to 48 months, the data center will maintain its value. And this project will STOP THE LANDFILL.
The Planning Commission met with the project team and explained the property, as zoned today, could hold a data center. The project team has waited for the commission to complete the Land Use exception and its ordinance.
We need the commission to approve the Land Use exemption and ordinance, which requires additional readings before its official. Once that is done, we can bring in the biggest project to come to Brantley County in our lifetimes AND we can STOP THE LANDFILL.
And, this will not hurt the environment or the community one single bit. Pun intended.
So please call the commissioners at 912462-5256 to thank them for their work on this project, having an opportunity to finally STOP THE LANDFILL and voice your support for the data center and sand mine project to reduce our taxes by 33%, to provide future jobs for our families and as if we can’t say it enough, TO STOP THE LANDFILL.
