Virginia Stapleton Addresses Salem Data Center Proposal

Communities across the state have banded together to oppose data center construction because of concerns about noise, water pollution, energy consumption, and impacts to quality of life for nearby residents. Right now, my community is telling me loud and clear that they oppose the proposed Mill Creek data center project in Salem. I hear them and stand with them - we want transparency, we want accountability, and we don’t want any more tax breaks for billionaires.

I share concerns about land use, water scarcity, strain on the electrical grid and frustrations with corporate tax giveaways to businesses that do not produce the sustained work that allow folks to support their families and reinvest in our community. And I hear frustration with the local government over the lack of transparency surrounding this proposal from the very beginning. For these reasons, I stand with my community in opposition to Project Gridline until we can be sure that these concerns are addressed in a meaningful and transparent way.

I want to make one thing very clear. I want to see jobs created in our community, including construction jobs that keep our tradespeople working. When we build something, it should meet a real community need. I will work to bring building jobs to Senate District 11 that have real community buy-in and tangible benefits for both residents and our tradespeople. The jobs created through development projects need to include labor agreements that ensure workers earn family-wage pay, receive health and retirement benefits, have access to apprenticeship training, and work under clear safety standards. These are the kinds of jobs and investments I want to see in our community and the kind of projects I will support as your next State Senator.