FCPS orders independent study of data center impacts near Carroll Manor Elementary

The Frederick County Board of Education has directed school system staff to seek an independent, comprehensive study of potential environmental impacts on Carroll Manor Elementary School from nearby data center development.

The board voted Wednesday to have FCPS prepare a request for proposals for an outside firm to conduct the review. FCPS confirmed in its Sept. 23 board recap that staff were directed to prepare an RFP for a comprehensive study examining data center impacts and possible mitigation measures.

The study is expected to examine conditions at the Adamstown school both during ongoing construction and once nearby data center facilities are operating.

According to the source material, the review would cover air quality, noise, vibration, radiation, electromagnetic fields, particulate matter inside and outside the building, and water quality.

The closest approved data center is expected to operate within roughly 2,000 feet of Carroll Manor Elementary.

Board member Jaime Brennan, who made the motion, said the school system needs a consolidated set of recommendations that can be used to determine what protections may be necessary and what those measures could cost.

She said such a report could also help FCPS establish a framework for other schools that may eventually be affected by nearby data center development.

Board member Colt Black, who seconded the motion, said he believes developers should help pay for mitigation if the study identifies risks or necessary improvements.

HVAC and air-quality concerns

Several board members focused on Carroll Manor’s ventilation system and whether the building is sufficiently equipped to limit outdoor particulate matter.

Board member Chad King Wilson Sr. raised questions about filtration and whether particles carried indoors by students could affect classmates and staff.

FCPS staff said Carroll Manor’s most recent HVAC improvements were completed in 2019 and 2020.

Frederick County has also installed an air-quality monitor on the Carroll Manor campus as part of broader monitoring in the Adamstown area near the Quantum Frederick development.

That monitoring was announced earlier this year, though some nearby residents argued it did not go far enough.

Board member Janie Inglis Monier said she wants the school to receive immediate alerts if monitoring detects unsafe conditions so outdoor activities could be adjusted when necessary.

Questions about electromagnetic fields

Black also asked FCPS to examine electromagnetic and extremely low-frequency fields as part of the study.

His comments included claims about possible health associations. Those concerns have not been established by the board as findings; they are among the issues members want an independent evaluator to examine.

Who pays?

The cost of the study is not yet known.

FCPS staff told board members that an outside assessment would be needed before the system could estimate the cost of recommended mitigation measures.

Board President Dean Rose said he has contacted developers and operators associated with the Quantum site about potentially paying for the study.

Rose also expressed frustration about what he described as insufficient communication regarding when the facilities will become operational.

The issue also drew public testimony from parents, teachers, elected officials and candidates.

Among them was Carroll Manor kindergarten teacher Kate Lane, who described humidity problems in her classroom and urged the school system to address conditions at the building.

FCPS says Carroll Manor Elementary remains open at its Adamstown Road campus, and the board’s action at this stage is to commission further study rather than conclude that a specific environmental hazard has been established.