Saline Twp. data center construction causing noise complaints, Oracle responds

Data Center construction causing noise complaints

Dozens of gravel haulers in Saline have been driving by and they are loud. According to residents, the trucks are in town hauling out equipment for the new Oracle and OpenAI data center.

SALINE TWP., Mich. (FOX 2) - Construction on a new data center in Saline Township has begun and residents say it’s already making a lot of noise.

Big picture view:

Dozens of gravel haulers in Saline have been driving by and they are loud. According to residents, the trucks are in town hauling out equipment for the new Oracle and OpenAI data center.

The multi-billion-dollar, 1.4 gigawatt data center has been the center of controversy for some time. Some locals are for it, saying it’ll create jobs. Others oppose it, citing water usage, energy concerns, and environmental impact.

FOX 2 spoke with a café owner, who said the gravel haulers are loud. It hasn’t slowed foot traffic, but customers can definitely hear them.

"I’m half a block away and as they rumble eastward because they’re empty, I can hear it rumbling. I’m like, ‘What is that noise?’ I’m like, ‘Oh, it’s a truck.’ But then when they go through the other way, you don’t hear them unless they’re horn-honking because they can’t make the light. So they run the red light, hit their horn," said café owner Karen Carrigan.

"There’s a lot of them, both ways. I live near Michigan Ave., just east of town here," said resident Larry Osterling. "And I’ve been by where they’re doing work out there. There have to be hundreds a day. My biggest concern is what it’s actually doing in the long term to Michigan Avenue. We’ve had it, downtown Saline — we’ve had Michigan Ave. redone several times."

The other side:

FOX 2 reached out to Oracle, which says that "Related Digital" are the project developers. They provided a statement which reads in part:

"We understand the concerns about increased traffic associated with our project. We are working closely with the Township, MDOT, and local and state police to mitigate disruption to the community resulting from increased construction traffic and to ensure both public and worker safety. We have brought in Michigan State Police — at our own expense — to patrol US-12, enforce traffic laws and ensure public safety, especially during peak hours.

In terms of the gravel trucks, by early spring much of the interior roads on our site will be paved and therefore the gravel deliveries will be substantially finished. That will greatly alleviate some of what the community feels right now in terms of the volume of trucks.

Finally, I would note that we have a Construction Advisory Committee that includes members of the Township Planning Commission and community. It meets on a monthly basis to collaborate and promptly address community concerns."

They say by early spring much of the roads by the center should be paved, so a lot of hauling should be completed.

Meanwhile, Oracle also released a statement:

"Oracle continues to work closely with our partners to minimize the impact of construction on the community. Three-quarters of our campus is preserved as open space, with ample setbacks and landscaping buffers designed to minimize both light and noise, which is just 55 decibels at the property line. We’re working with state and local law enforcement and the Township to ensure any disruptions resulting from construction traffic are well planned, minimal and temporary." - Oracle Spokesperson