What's actually on the table
Five numbers, straight from the record — the company's own statements to the Planning Board and documented measurements, each with its source.
| The number | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ~635 MW | The proposed expansion — "expand and modernize" the campus to roughly 635 megawatts of power capacity. | The company says — May 21, 2026 minutes |
| ~4× | The most recent public figure for the operation's current draw is about 166 MW (late 2024) — the expansion targets close to four times that. | Record — the scale, in plain terms |
| ≈70% | Of the 912-MW U.S. (NYPA) side of the Massena hydro dam — a size comparison only; the operation says it buys power off the wholesale grid, not from the dam. | Record — scale comparison |
| 115 | Backup generators in the plan — the company's own number, after what it describes as a reduction from 316. | The company says — May 21, 2026 minutes |
| 40 dB vs 50 dB | The company predicts 40 dB at the nearest homes. At a comparable crypto site in North Tonawanda, NY, a police study found the plant exceeded that city's 50 dB nighttime limit every night. | Company claim vs record — the receipts |
182 & 194 County Road 45 — the former Reynolds / Alcoa East smelter campus. On the St. Lawrence River. Beside a federal river cleanup. In our town.
What's going on there →Three problems that don't go away
Each one is laid out with its source on the Resources page — and each one is a reason this deserves the full study, not a rushed sign-off.
It sits on contaminated ground
The site is contaminated former-smelter land — PCBs, dioxins, and metals capped and contained in place, right beside a federal river cleanup. Heavy construction raises real questions about whether that cap stays intact.
See the receipts →It never turns off
The company says its studies show 40 dB at the nearest homes — but that already sits at the WHO threshold where nighttime noise begins to harm health. A comparable crypto site in North Tonawanda, NY exceeded its city's 50 dB night limit every night. We want worst-case modeling, not one reassuring number.
See the receipts →Your bill is on the table
A 635-MW load is enormous. When a crypto operation scaled up in Plattsburgh, NY, residents' bills rose and the city became the first in the U.S. to pause mining. Who pays for grid upgrades here, and what happens to local rates?
See the receipts →A month ago, eleven people were in the room. Then—
This is moving, and it's moving because neighbors started paying attention. Dated and sourced, like everything here.
Eleven people, one enormous decision
A make-up meeting noticed barely a day ahead — at first with the wrong date — drew about a dozen residents while the Planning Board began its review of the data-center application. Nothing was approved; the board even sent a threshold question to the Zoning Board of Appeals: whether a large data center is a permitted use in that zone at all. The full recap →
Then the steps of Town Hall filled
Several dozen residents — families, elders, and the Akwesasne Mohawk community — packed an emergency rally organized by Mohawks United in Safety and Health. Far more people than the meeting itself drew. The report + photos →
Now our neighbors in Canton are acting
Canton holds a July 8 public hearing on a moratorium that would pause large data centers through May 2027 — and the St. Lawrence County Legislature has affirmed that siting authority rests with towns, urging every municipality to consider a pause. Massena has that power too. The report →
A statewide one-year data-center pause awaits a signature
The Responsible Data Center Development Act passed both houses of the New York Legislature on June 4 and awaits Governor Hochul's signature. It is not yet law. Ask her to sign it →
“This room is going to be full when we have a public hearing.”
Three ways to be heard. Pick one.
You don't need to be an expert — every action here is timed so you know exactly what it costs you.
1–2 emails a week, only when a meeting, comment deadline, or vote is actually coming.