Shady Grove Elementary

The proposed HHHunt data center is not just an abstract zoning issue; it could pose a direct and documented threat to the health and safety of the children at Shady Grove Elementary School, less than a mile away. The combination of the facility's extreme proximity to the school, the massive scale of the campus, polluting generators, and the known health dangers of its emissions creates an unacceptable and entirely avoidable risk for our community's students.

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​The Proximity is Not "Distant" – It's Direct

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• The proposed 410-acre industrial complex is located only 0.8 miles from Shady Grove Elementary School.​ This is not a "neighboring" facility; it is well within the immediate air "plume" of a major industrial site.

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• The HHHunt proposal includes a 150-foot setback from residential property, "half a football field." This demonstrates the extreme proximity of the entire project to the surrounding community, including the school.​​​​

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​The Source: A Cluster of 300+ Polluting Generators

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• The proposal includes over 300 emergency diesel generators on-site.

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• These are not small generators; they are massive industrial engines. The Sierra Club report confirms that nearly all 9,000+ generators approved in Virginia are "cheap, highly polluting Tier 2 models" (Sierra Club, p. 53).

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• The industry is not using the "Best Available Technology." Modern Tier 4 generators would reduce the most harmful pollutants (particulate matter and NOx) by 90%, but they are not being used (Sierra Club, p. 55).

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The Pollution: 1,100+ Tons of Toxic Emissions Annually

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• These 300+ generators are projected to release over 1,100 tons of air pollution every year.​ This includes 802 tons of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and 359 tons of Carbon Monoxide (CO) (Meeting PDF, p. 16).

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• This pollution is directly linked to creating ground-level ozone (smog), which is especially harmful to children.

​​The Risk: Documented Health Dangers for Children

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• The community presentation (p. 16) explicitly links this pollution to severe health impacts for children, including:

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• Increased Childhood Asthma & Respiratory Symptoms

• Reduced Lung Function

• Increased Cancer Risk

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• The Sierra Club report (p. 52) reinforces this, stating that exposure to diesel exhaust "primarily affects the respiratory system and worsens asthma, allergies, bronchitis, and lung function" and increases the risk of "heart problems, premature death, and lung cancer."​

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​The Exposure: Pollution During School Hours

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• This is not just a hypothetical risk during a blackout.​ Statewide, the DEQ has permitted these generators to run for testing and maintenance for up to 500 hours per year.

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• This equals an average of 1.4 hours of daily diesel pollution per generator (Sierra Club, p. 53).

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• This means children will be exposed to these toxic diesel fumes during school hours, while at recess, and during outdoor activities.

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