Concerns raised over proposed N.B. AI data centre within UNESCO Geopark boundary

Plans for a massive 390-megawatt AI data center and gas plant near Lorneville, New Brunswick, are generating significant concern among local residents, primarily due to potential environmental impacts. The controversy has intensified as it's revealed the proposed site lies within the boundaries of the Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark.

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I was just stunned that no one was talking about this.

Marnie Mercier, a resident living near the proposed site, expressed shock that the geopark designation was not a more prominent part of the discussion. She emphasized that Lorneville is clearly within the 2,500 square kilometer geopark, highlighting the presence of old-growth forest, underground waterways, and a sensitive estuary in the area.

Jennifer Dingman, the geopark's executive director, clarified that the UNESCO designation does not automatically block economic development or create new legal protections. However, she stressed that it carries an expectation for developments within the park to be approached with respect for the landscape's geological, natural, and cultural integrity, and with efforts to minimize environmental harm.

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Everyone should know about this and no one is talking about it. You can go to any site and it says that Lorneville is inside this geopark.

Dingman also stated that the project should not proceed without "meaningful engagement" with local communities and Indigenous rights holders. Despite Mercier's efforts to reach out to political officials, she has received no satisfactory response. MP John Williamson has called for the province to publicly confirm the UNESCO boundary's assessment in the environmental impact review, while MLA Kate Wilcott maintains the province is enforcing legislation and that no specific geo-sites are within the project's immediate footprint.

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However, the designation carries an expectation that development within the geopark will be approached with respect for the geological, natural, and cultural integrity of the landscape and with efforts to minimize the environmental impacts.