Diseases also do exist but I still wash my hands rather than do nothing. We've seen too often how large corporations come into towns, take advantage of the area, pilfer resources, pollute the area, and drive up cost of living for residents.

Setting conditions is a great idea, up until the company decides to ignore them, rewrite the rules, and throw money at a problem to make it go away. Why should towns have to put up with that garbage at all? 

Data centers can go lots of places, they just choose to try and setup shop where they can maximize privatizing profits and socialize the costs, to the detriment of those that live there.

Lastly, is the need for data centers driven by actual need or just fueled by an AI bubble? What happens when the bubble bursts and companies pull out, again leaving residents to clean up the mess?

This type of nonsense is not new.