I recently
was given the opportunity to address the topic of a Crusoe and Black Mountain
Energy Data Center’s proposed permit to be built on property acquired in Leon
County. Approximately two hundred fellow citizens of Leon County showed up for
the meeting scheduled to include several other agenda items. The meeting started with an opening prayer,
the Pledge of Allegiance to both the United States of America as well as to the
Great State of Texas. (Image courtesy of Shutterstock)
Prior to opening
the floor to concerned citizens regarding the Data Center’s potential for
negatively impacting property owners, livestock and other interests to include Crusoe
and Black Mountain Energy’s request to have their target property given a tax
abatement provision, the Commissioner’s Court held a continuing discussion regarding
the issuance of a permit to a surveying company’s request to do seismological testing
on property owned by Leon County, land currently used for grazing of livestock
by various Leon County property owners.
There were
serious questions asked of the representative of the surveying company having
to do with a multitude of holes to be drilled down in the ground 80 feet for equipment
used in measuring movement in and around those holes. The Commissioners were concerned about how
the company would fill those holes, the materials used to guarantee those
materials wouldn’t compact or compress later, leaving dangerous holes for
livestock to trip over and damage legs.
The company would need to satisfactorily address each challenge both
short term and in years to come, including their responses as part of the
proposed contract and permit application.
I was
impressed with the thorough insight of the Commissioners’ Court as they
considered the safety and well-being of property owners and their livestock.
When it was my opportunity to speak before the Commissioners Court, my name
having been called out by County Judge Bryon Ryder, my remarks included an
expressed hope that the Commissioners would have the same standard of requirements
to be met by the folks planning to build the Data Center in Leon County.
A short
list of the concerns that Leon County property owners brought to the meeting
would be: vast amounts of water needed by the Data Center for cooling, possibly
depleting the county’s supply of water from the already stretched aquifer, taking
into consideration water already being drawn away by the Dallas/Ft. Worth
pipeline which has already caused some local water wells to become useless, the
possibility of contamination of the water supply from the Data Center as it reenters
the environment, excessive demand on the electrical grid, the cost to property
owners to pay for power lines that will serve the Data Center, noise levels
which would disturb the peace and tranquility of property owners as well as the
potential disruption of livestock within miles of the Data Center. Health concerns that have yet to be addressed
or recorded in sufficient abundance or made available to the public would have
to be added to this list.
Daniel
McCoslin recently wrote, and his insightful line was quoted in the Commissioners
Court Meeting held on Monday July 13, 2026, “Property rights keep coming up
over the Data Center debates. Have you ever heard the old saying, “Your right
to swing your fist ends where my nose begins?” While continuing that thought he further
wrote:
“Lately,
I’ve been thinking about how that perfectly explains the Harm Principle,
especially when it comes to property rights.
Think of
it like this, your property is your castle. If you want to paint your house
neon pink, plant a jungle in the front yard, or build a massive deck, you
should be completely free to do it. It's your land, your investment, and your
right.
But
there’s a flip side. That freedom stops the exact second your actions cross the
property line and start hurting your neighbors. Whether it’s dumping toxic
chemicals that seep into the local water supply, or building an industrial
project that drains the community's shared resources, noise and lighting
pollution that destroys others abilities to enjoy their land. You have crossed
the line from enjoying your property to harming someone else's.
True
property rights aren't just about the freedom to do what you want on your land,
it's about the responsibility to make sure your actions don't ruin the life,
health, or livelihood of the people next door. Something these massive
companies don't understand, they just see dollar signs and don't care about the
people around them.”
As of July
14, 2026, Daniel McCoslin mentioned in his writings, “County Judge Byron Ryder
continues to stand like a wall, rightfully declaring that these projects are a
bad deal for our home.” May right
prevail regardless of monetary compensations presented as “Community
Improvement”.
County
Judge Byron Ryder and Commissioners Paul Bing, Joey Sullivan, and TJ Foley need
to know they have the support of property owners in Leon County, as long as
they provide necessary safe guards for health and prosperity for those living
in Leon County. Limitations placed on County Commissioners and Courts through
Texas legislation regarding Zoning are not in conflict with local government
entities mandating meaningful contractual agreements with companies expecting
to do business within the boundaries of their jurisdictions.
