Lowell Residents Sue Markley Group Over Data Center Emissions
Lowell residents filed lawsuits against Markley Group LLC and state regulators over air quality and noise pollution from a large data center facility.
Residents of Lowell, Massachusetts, have launched two legal challenges against Markley Group LLC regarding its 352,000-square-foot data center. A coalition of 10 residents filed a lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court against the company and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, alleging a flawed air quality plan for the facility's 16 cooling towers and 27 diesel backup generators. A separate class action lawsuit claims the center emits excessive noise that has caused property damage.
Markley Group responded with an information campaign defending its role as a community investment. The company also agreed to dismiss a lawsuit it had previously filed against the city of Lowell concerning a growth moratorium.
These local disputes mirror a broader regional crackdown on data center expansion. Governor Maura Healey halted applications for 20-year sales- and use-tax exemptions for data centers until stronger community protections are established. Similar opposition has emerged in Westfield, Massachusetts, regarding a proposed $4 billion facility, and in New York, where Governor Kathy Hochul paused large data center construction for an environmental review.
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