Project Gold is a proposed data center development spanning Clifton and Covington Townships. Learn what's being planned, explore public records, and understand the potential impacts on our water, forests, wildlife, and quality of life.
591 Gallons Per Minute
Estimated peak water withdrawal affecting local wells
2.5 Million Sq. Ft.
That's roughly 14 Walmart Supercenters.
Nearly 1,000 Acres
Spanning two townships, this project is MASSIVE.
2.2 Gigawatts
Proposed maximum electricity demand for the development.
Unspoiled night skies, cold-water trout habitats, and ancient boreal peat wetlands.
Although Project Gold is proposed for Clifton and Covington Townships, questions about its potential impacts extend beyond municipal boundaries. Residents throughout North Pocono—including Moscow, Spring Brook, Gouldsboro, and surrounding communities—have an interest in understanding the project's potential effects on water resources, infrastructure, and quality of life.
Explore project records, follow township notices, and learn how residents can participate in public proceedings.
The reality behind Project Gold: why 2.9 acres of wetland fill is only the tip of an ecological and public health disaster.
While developers downplay filling "just 2.9 acres" of wetlands requiring PA DEP permits, wetlands do not exist in isolation. The North Pocono plateau acts as a gigantic natural sponge. Massive building foundations (FFEs up to 1910'), blasting, and extensive subterranean compaction will sever subsurface hydrology.
Combined with an on-site peak well extraction rate of 591.4 GPM, the project threatens to dewater hundreds of abutting wetland acres, lowering water tables in surrounding peat bogs, vernal pools, and private drinking wells.
The parcel assemblage sits directly in the headwaters of the Lehigh River basin and Roaring Brook tributaries—waters designated as Exceptional Value (EV) by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
EV waters represent the highest water quality standard in Pennsylvania and are protected under state law by strict non-degradation mandates. Clear-cutting hundreds of acres eliminates natural forest canopy buffers, increasing thermal runoff pollution that destroys native brook trout populations and sensitive aquatic macroinvertebrates.
Unlike warehouses that get quiet at night, hyperscale data centers generate relentless mechanical acoustic emissions 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Cooling 2.2 Gigawatts of computation requires massive rooftop condenser banks and industrial chiller yards.
These industrial fans produce continuous low-frequency noise (40–60 Hz hum). Low-frequency sound waves travel long distances over water and open terrain, penetrating walls, windows, and standard woodland tree buffers, causing sleep deprivation, anxiety, and documented long-term health crises.
Transforming nearly 1,000 acres of uneven, boulder-strewn woodland into flat pads for 2.5 million square feet of single-story buildings requires years of earth-shattering bedrock blasting, heavy grading, and massive soil disturbance.
This activity releases dense clouds of fugitive silica dust, diesel emissions from heavy machinery, and severe sediment loads. During rain events, storm runoff easily overwhelms retention basins, washing sediment and silt into pristine headwaters and coating neighboring properties in dust.
Cooling technology: Some specialized two-phase systems use fluorinated fluids that may contain PFAS; some conventional single-phase closed-loop designs use water/glycol mixtures without PFAS. “Closed-loop” describes how fluid circulates, not its chemical contents.
Potential pathways: If chemicals are present, equipment leaks, maintenance accidents, or improper disposal could create a release pathway to soil or groundwater if containment or handling fails. This is a general possibility, not evidence of a release at this site.
Why it matters locally: Many North Pocono households rely on private wells, making clear chemical disclosure and groundwater monitoring relevant to residents.
Proposed water source: The August 18, 2026 Water Supply Evaluation proposes using treated municipal wastewater from the Covington Township Sewer Authority as makeup water for Project Gold’s closed-loop cooling systems. This describes a proposal, not evidence that the water is currently being used.
Treatment does not necessarily remove every substance. Depending on treatment processes and water quality, residual pharmaceuticals, nutrients, PFAS, dissolved minerals, or other substances could remain. The cited materials do not establish that any specific contaminant is present in this proposed supply.
Nearby water resources: The August 17, 2026 Environmental Impact Statement identifies Meadow Brook, Rucks Run, Silver Creek, and tributaries as Exceptional Value (EV) waterways on or near the site. It also describes stormwater infiltration basins intended to direct runoff into the ground and support groundwater recharge.
The cited application materials describe a proposed cooling-water source but do not clearly identify where spent cooling-system water would go when systems are drained, flushed, cleaned, or serviced. Closed-loop systems recirculate water and minimize routine discharge, but maintenance or equipment replacement can require fluids to be removed or managed. Improperly managed releases could create a pathway to soil or water resources.
Pennsylvania designates certain streams as Exceptional Value (EV) waters because of their outstanding water quality or other qualifying characteristics.
These waterways receive special protection under Pennsylvania’s water-quality regulations, including antidegradation requirements intended to maintain and protect existing water quality.
Project Gold’s Environmental Impact Statement identifies several EV waterways associated with the development site.
Given these protected resources, residents should expect a clear explanation of how the proposed cooling-water system will prevent contamination of groundwater and surface waters.
Important clarification: The application does not establish that Project Gold intends to discharge treated sewage directly into the ground or nearby waterways, or that it intends to send cooling-system wastewater to infiltration basins. The concern is that the cited materials do not clearly explain how spent cooling water would be managed or detail safeguards against unintended releases.
Project Gold application references
The August 2026 Project Gold filing requests 2.2 GW of grid-supplied power through PPL transmission infrastructure. This chart compares that demand against major power plants and cities.
Source: Project Gold Conditional Use Narrative (August 18, 2026). Utility benchmarks based on regional grid metrics.
Details extracted directly from Langan Engineering Conditional Use Plans (August 18, 2026):
| Building / Component | Township Location | Footprint & FFE Elevation | Proposed Height / Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building 1 & 2 | Clifton Township | ~777,000 sq ft combined | 1-story (≤65 ft) |
| Building 3 & 4 | Covington Township (NW Campus) | 475,006 sq ft each | 1-story (≤65 ft) |
| Building 5 | Covington Township (NW Campus) | 388,500 sq ft (FFE: 1908.00') | 1-story (≤65 ft) |
| Building 6 | Covington Township (NW Campus) | 388,500 sq ft (FFE: 1910.00') | 1-story (≤65 ft) |
| Project Gold Total | Covington & Clifton (998.8 Acres) | ~2.5 Million Sq. Ft. | 2.2 GW Grid Load |
Exposing the gaps between the developer's application narrative and technical site plan reality (ordered from newest/most urgent to foundational facts).
Fact: Spreading 2.5 million square feet of single-story buildings across 998.8 acres creates a massive land-clearing footprint. Single-story sprawl requires clearing more forest, installing expansive impervious parking/mechanical yards, and destroying natural terrain, permanently altering local hydrology.
Fact: Demanding 2.2 Gigawatts (2,200 MW) from the public grid requires two massive new PPL substations (Big Bass & Tamarack) and 500 kV transmission extensions. This immense load strain risks regional grid stability, while rate-payers bear the risk of long-term utility infrastructure cost shifts.
Fact: Millions of gallons of water must be trucked in via heavy tankers to initially fill the closed-loop HVAC systems, causing heavy wear on Clifton Beach and Dorantown roads. Furthermore, peak instantaneous well pumping rates (up to 591.4 GPM) can still affect surrounding residential water tables.
Fact: Industrial-scale lithium-ion battery banks carry serious thermal runaway and toxic off-gassing fire risks. A BESS incident places an extraordinary burden on local volunteer fire departments that must handle hazardous chemical fire containment.
Established technology facts: Cooling systems use different fluids. Some specialized systems may use PFAS-containing fluorinated fluids, while some single-phase closed-loop systems use water/glycol mixtures without PFAS. A closed loop recirculates fluid; it does not identify the fluid’s ingredients or establish how leaks, maintenance, and disposal are managed.
Project Gold-specific unknowns: The materials reviewed do not establish which cooling system or fluids would be selected, whether any products would contain PFAS, or what groundwater monitoring and spill controls are proposed. PFAS use at Project Gold has not been established. These are questions for disclosure—not a finding that PFAS will be used or that contamination exists.
See the research and industry sources for context.
Fact: Developers frequently negotiate tax abatements (PILOTs) that offset promised revenues. Furthermore, massive road wear and utility grid expansions risk passing financial burdens to municipal taxpayers and regional ratepayers.
Fact: Municipal zoning allows reasonable pathways for commercial development. Attempting to force hyperscale industrial complexes into low-density rural or residential zones bypasses legitimate municipal planning and local protections.
Review the primary documents on the Resources page to see the full public record.
Track key milestones from initial 2025 filings to the August 2026 Conditional Use application.
Filter municipal leaders, legal representatives, and advisory boards involved in township review processes.
Proof that municipal conditional use applications can be defeated in Lackawanna County—and the exact legal roadmap for Covington Township.
Developers want communities to believe conditional use approval is automatic rubber-stamping. In October 2026, Archbald Borough proved otherwise, rejecting the 14-building Wildcat Ridge project after residents held the line over 9 hearings. Covington Township Supervisors have the legal authority to do the same.
7 - 0
Unanimous Rejection
Under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) and Covington Ordinance No. 2025-03, a conditional use is not an automatic 'by-right' commercial permit. The applicant carries the initial burden to prove absolute, concrete compliance with every technical standard in the ordinance. Once residents present competent evidence of adverse community impacts beyond those normal to the use, the burden falls squarely on the developer.
1. Specific Criteria
The applicant must provide concrete engineering evidence—not hypothetical assurances—for buffers, setbacks, sound thresholds, and water management.
2. General Standards
Supervisors have the legal mandate to deny any proposal that threatens public safety, depletes local aquifers, or degrades Exceptional Value watersheds.
3. Substantial Evidence
Citizen testimony on baseline noise, private well depths, road geometry, and wetland hydrology creates a legally defensible record for denial.
Both Clifton and Covington sit on headwaters designated as Exceptional Value (EV) by PA DEP. Pennsylvania law strictly mandates zero degradation of EV waters. Project Gold plans to fill 2.9 acres of wetlands, clear-cut continuous forest canopy, and grade near headwater streams.
The application narrative claims closed-loop air cooling, but technical plans specify an instantaneous peak well pumping capacity of 591.4 GPM. Pumping at this scale risks dewatering neighboring residential wells and puncturing subterranean layers that feed contiguous peat bogs.
Data center acoustic studies frequently hide behind average dBA ratings. However, industrial chillers and rooftop exhaust fans generate low-frequency pure tones (C-weighted sound) that standard woodland buffers and house insulation cannot block, traveling across lakes and quiet valleys.
In Archbald, residents succeeded because abutting homeowners registered as formal parties (intervenors), allowing them to cross-examine developer engineers, present independent expert witnesses, and preserve an unassailable record for the township solicitor.
Track the Covington Hearing Notice
Attend every Covington Township Board of Supervisors meeting and watch the township's notice page for a hearing date. No date has been announced in the township records reviewed through October 2026.
Support the County Health & Cumulative Impact Study
Back Commissioner Bill Gaughan's initiative to evaluate regional grid, water, and emergency response limits before any single township grants approval.
Demand Full State PA GRID Compliance
Hold developers to Governor Shapiro's May 2026 GRID standards, guaranteeing that zero ratepayer money is used for PPL 2.2 GW transmission upgrades.
Engineered site layout drawings prepared by Langan Engineering (dated August 18, 2026). Click images to view.
Chronological archive of local reporting from Kat Bolus (WVIA/NPR), commentary from Chris Kelly (The Times-Tribune), county leadership initiatives, and national investigations.
Farm & Dairy reports that the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is urging lawmakers to temporarily pause data center development while the state studies community impacts, supports small communities facing proposals, and strengthens farmland protections.
Read the Farm & Dairy report →WVIA reported that Archbald Borough Council unanimously rejected a zoning request for Cornell Realty Management's 14-building Wildcat Ridge Data Center Campus on 578 acres.
Read Kat Bolus's WVIA Report →The township's application notice says the Quantm Group application is under completeness review and no hearing has been scheduled. September 1 minutes said a hearing date could not be set until a hearing officer was chosen. The October 6 agenda lists an extension item for the application, but does not state a hearing date or the outcome of that item.
Commissioners hired EmPower Analytics Group for $165,000 to conduct a 90-day countywide study of cumulative air-quality and public-health impacts from proposed data centers and power plants.
Read Kat Bolus's WVIA report →Kat Bolus reports on the Lackawanna County Court decision invalidating Clifton Township's controversial settlement agreement with developer 1778 Rich Pike LLC. The ruling sent officials back to the drawing board to draft comprehensive zoning standards maintaining strict 35-foot height caps.
Read on WVIA News →Reporting on Commissioner Bill Gaughan's call for Governor Shapiro to institute a multi-year statewide moratorium on hyperscale data center development while cumulative impacts on regional air quality, water supplies, and electrical grid infrastructure are rigorously assessed.
Read on WVIA News →Chris Kelly examines how multi-gigawatt developer projects exploit neighboring rural municipal lines. Even if one township resists, adjacent approvals threaten regional roadways, water security, and electric utility rates for all surrounding residents.
Read Column on The Times-Tribune →Kelly cautions municipal supervisors against taking developer concessions at face value, breaking down how speculative corporate applicants use phased applications and narrative promises to gain foothold approvals in rural areas.
Read Column on The Times-Tribune →A comprehensive three-part investigative series examining the environmental and utility risks of the regional data center boom:
Bolus reports from the Gouldsboro Fire Hall during the Zoning Hearing Board challenge, documenting cross-examinations of the developer's witnesses regarding building height requirements, 24/7 acoustic limits, and PPL 230 kV power procurement.
Read Full Hearing Report on WVIA →Archived recording of public discussions addressing the legal and environmental impact of substantive validity challenges on local zoning.
Goldsboro Land LLC, JCO LLC, and Joseph C. Occhipinti, in partnership with Quantm Group, LLC, have formally submitted a Conditional Use Application for "Project Gold" to Covington Township. The application targets a 998.8-acre assemblage (564.1 acres in Covington's DCET district and 434.7 acres in Clifton). Reengineered from initial 2025 concepts, the current proposal calls for 6 single-story buildings (4 in Covington), 2.2 GW grid power supplied by PPL, closed-loop air cooling (~8,512 GPD domestic water draw), and 18 emergency life-safety generators.
Project Gold spans contiguous parcels bounded by Interstate 380, Clifton Beach Road (S.R. 2013), Drinker Turnpike (S.R. 0435), and Dorantown/Yostville Road (S.R. 2018).
| Parcel ID | Township / Zoning | Acreage | Owner of Record / Applicant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21903-020-006.01 | Covington (DCET) | 92.43 Acres | Goldsboro Land, LLC |
| 22601-020-002 | Covington (DCET) | 104.23 Acres | Goldsboro Land, LLC |
| 22604-020-001 | Covington (DCET) | 141.40 Acres | Goldsboro Land, LLC |
| 22601-020-001 | Covington (DCET) | 104.37 Acres | Goldsboro Land, LLC |
| 22604-010-002 | Covington (DCET) | 9.69 Acres | Joseph Occhipinti (Equitable: Goldsboro Land) |
| 23202-020-001 | Covington (DCET) | 176.44 Acres | JCO, LLC (Equitable: Goldsboro Land) |
| 22604-010-002.01 | Covington (DCET) | 142.96 Acres | JCO, LLC |
Article I, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution protects the people’s rights to clean air, pure water, and environmental preservation, and places Pennsylvania’s public natural resources in trust for current and future generations.
In Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation v. Commonwealth, 161 A.3d 911 (Pa. 2017), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court described the Commonwealth’s duty to conserve and maintain public natural resources. That case concerned state forest and park lands, not this private data-center proposal. Section 27 may be a legal framework for counsel to assess when government decisions could affect qualifying public resources; it does not automatically prohibit a private development or establish that a violation has occurred.
This is general legal background, not legal advice. Whether Section 27 applies to a specific Project Gold approval depends on the resources and government actions involved and should be assessed by qualified Pennsylvania counsel.
Read the Pennsylvania Supreme Court opinion (PDF)Local non-profit land trusts and watershed protectors actively challenging zoning decisions and defending our headwaters in court.
The Pocono Heritage Land Trust (PHLT) is actively challenging municipal zoning decisions in court to protect the irreplaceable natural landscapes of the North Pocono region. PHLT holds a vital 772-acre conservation easement that would be directly impacted and surrounded on three sides by the proposed Project Gold data center complex.
Mounting a sustained legal defense requires specialized land use attorneys, hydrological experts, and environmental consultants. If you are able to support this legal fight directly, please consider making a tax-deductible donation.
When donating online, please specify "Covington / Clifton Data Center Legal Fund" in the memo or note field so your contribution is designated directly for this legal defense.
North Pocono C.A.R.E. is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the Exceptional Value (EV) waters and headwaters of the Lehigh River basin. Their volunteer monitors and leadership have been on the front lines monitoring stream quality, opposing improper industrial zoning in Clifton and Covington Townships, and defending watershed protections across the Pocono Plateau.
Reference links, municipal filings, and project applications.
| Document Item | Details | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|
| Conditional Use Narrative (Project Gold) | Comprehensive narrative by Goldsboro Land, LLC detailing reengineered 6-building layout, closed-loop cooling, and 2.2 GW grid power. | August 18, 2026 |
| Conditional Use Site Plans (Langan CS100–106) | Engineered site drawings prepared by Langan Engineering showing building FFEs, Dorantown Substation, and wetland fill boundaries. | August 18, 2026 |
| Covington Public Hearing Application | Signed application by Anthony Maras, Esq. (Quantm Group) seeking Conditional Use under Ordinance No. 2025-03. | August 17, 2026 |
| Clifton Township Code Library | Codified township zoning and land use regulations. | Active Code |
This section combines university and independent analysis with an industry perspective. These sources discuss general data-center water and cooling technologies; none establishes the cooling fluids or practices proposed for Project Gold.
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension · Temporary Publication 121 · June 10, 2026
A general overview of data-center water use and potential surface- and groundwater-quality pathways, including cooling additives and non-water coolants.
Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) · Analysis
Discusses possible direct and indirect PFAS pathways and notes that data-center-specific PFAS pollution is not well characterized.
Schneider Electric · Industry perspective
Compares cooling approaches, including some two-phase systems that use PFAS and single-phase direct-to-chip systems using a water/glycol mixture.
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