Residents of Monongahela Township gathered Wednesday night in Greensboro to voice concerns about the proposed Project Hummingbird power and data‑center complex slated for the former Robena Mine site along the Monongahela River. The roughly 25‑person crowd asked township supervisors to shift the regular board meeting start time from 9 a.m. to a later hour, arguing that the early schedule prevents many community members from participating.
Community benefits agreement at the center of the debate
Project Hummingbird, announced last year, would cover 1,400 acres and include two natural‑gas turbines from Pittsburgh‑based International Electric Power (IEP) generating a combined 910 megawatts, as well as a data‑center facility for hyperscale cloud‑computing and artificial‑intelligence operations. Essential Utilities of Bryn Mawr plans to build a water‑treatment plant to process 18 million gallons per day from the Monongahela River for power‑generation and cooling needs.
Local organizer Christina Blasinsky of the Center for Coalfield Justice said the group has been helping residents attend township meetings and submit input. Alicia resident Kimberly Barton presented a petition requesting that future board meetings be held at a later time. “They have it at such an inconvenient time, where no one can put their word in,” said her husband Tanner Barton.
Residents also expressed concerns about the draft community benefits agreement, which would bind the township to provide improvements or services in exchange for the project. The township has hired McNeese Consulting to draft the agreement, but as of August no final version existed. A five‑person resident committee was created to advise the process, yet members report only one informational meeting has taken place.
Community members outlined specific items they want included in the agreement: road funding, school‑maintenance support, ongoing air‑ and water‑quality testing, and a nearby hazardous‑materials response team to reduce emergency response times. Andrea Christopher of Greensboro emphasized the need for a slower, more deliberate review, saying, “It’s a lot of movement really quickly, and I think there needs to be a little more time to weigh the benefits and negatives.”
Some residents, like Alicia’s Jon Ross, worried about potential toxic emissions from the new facility, recalling the site’s history as an active coal mine that was reclaimed after closure. “We just finally got away from all that industrialization… now they’re just building a giant facility over there. I think it’s going to change everything,” he said.
In a statement Thursday, township officials clarified that no substantial site work has progressed since the Greene County Planning Commission approved preliminary reclamation in December. Current earth‑moving activities are part of routine permitting requirements by the site owner, Core. The township also noted it will not finalize a community benefits agreement until a developer is formally selected, but pledged to arrange a meeting with project experts once the agreement moves forward.
Next steps
Residents were invited to record video statements or submit written comments for future board meetings. The township plans to continue gathering input while it works toward selecting a developer and finalizing the community benefits agreement.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
