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WATFORD CITY -- McKenzie County will host a Community Forum on Data Center Sound & Health on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 6-8 p.m. at the McKenzie County Ag Expo.
The forum will feature independent environmental health and acoustics professionals who will explain the science behind sound, low-frequency noise and infrasound; demonstrate how sound is measured and evaluated; and discuss how those concepts apply to industrial development. Before the forum, baseline sound measurements will be taken near existing industrial facilities throughout McKenzie County. During the presentation, they will use those measurements to provide local context and help residents compare sound from existing industrial activities.
Presenters include Dr. Christopher Ollson, an environmental health scientist with more than 25 years of experience conducting environmental health and risk assessments for large-scale industrial and infrastructure projects, and Ryan Callahan, an acoustical engineer with about 20 years of experience in sound monitoring, acoustic modeling and noise compliance for industrial, energy and transportation projects. Together, they bring extensive experience helping communities, regulatory agencies and industry evaluate and manage sound associated with industrial development.
Rather than asking residents to simply accept technical conclusions, the forum will help participants understand how sound is measured, what current scientific methods evaluate and how those methods apply in real-world industrial settings. Community members will have an opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with the presenters.
Forum topics include understanding noise, low-frequency noise and infrasound, how sound is measured and evaluated, baseline sound measurements from existing industrial facilities in McKenzie County, scientific approaches for evaluating potential impacts on human health and livestock, noise mitigation strategies and regulatory considerations and community questions and discussion.
“The forum gives county residents the opportunity to hear science-based information and get their questions answered,” said McKenzie County Commissioner Joel Brown.
The Community Forum supports McKenzie County’s ongoing public education efforts as the county reviews and strengthens its existing data center ordinance. This is an educational community forum, not a public hearing or a presentation advocating for or against data center development. The event is independent of any proposed data center project or developer, and no data center developers or operators will participate.