Lowndes County carries the visible scars of neglect, from a decades old raw sewage crisis to cancer causing emissions discovered at a plastics plant along U.S. Highway 80. Now residents fear a proposed $1.5 billion hyperscale data center could bring another environmental disaster to Alabama’s Black Belt.

The proposed Project Red Clay would cover roughly 800 acres of farmland near Campsite #3, where civil rights marchers rested during the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march. About 60% of Lowndes County residents are African American, and the region has long endured substandard infrastructure and poorly maintained industrial projects.

Cloverleaf Infrastructure, a Houston based data center real estate developer, is working to prepare the site for sale to a data center developer. The company identifies land, pursues power, water and tax concessions, and then sells the prepared property rather than building or operating data centers itself.

The Lowndes Signal reported in April that Cloverleaf had discussed the project with local leaders and utility providers. That same month, Alabama lawmakers capped maximum data center tax abatements at 20 years beginning January 1, 2027, leaving Cloverleaf until year’s end to formally request a 30 year abatement.

The Lowndes County Commission will decide whether Project Red Clay receives tax breaks. Cloverleaf must also obtain electricity approval involving Alabama Power and reach a water service agreement with the member owned nonprofit Pintlala Water System.

Residents remain deeply skeptical of Cloverleaf’s promises to limit air, light and noise pollution, prevent contaminant leaks and protect drinking water. Rev. Tom Gardner, a Vietnam veteran whose property borders the proposed site, said, “I don’t know which way to turn if it comes, but I know I couldn’t live here.”

Lowndes County lacks zoning, and the site is located in an opportunity zone offering investors tax benefits. Congress created the Qualified Opportunity Zone program through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and the One Big Beautiful Bill made the program permanent.

Cloverleaf says Project Red Clay would create 1,000 construction jobs and at least 50 full time positions described as “high-paying.” It has also offered up to $10 million for community development, including $1 million initially, $4 million after state approval of the Alabama Power contract and another $5 million over five years after construction begins.

Yet residents say crucial information remains hidden. “The lack of transparency around the proposed Project Red Clay has left us angry, scared, and desperate for answers,” said John Urquhart, a Lowndes resident and organizer with Protect Lowndes County.

The Southern Environmental Law Center and National Resources Defense Council filed an open records request on behalf of Protect Lowndes County and the Alabama Rivers Alliance. They sought ten categories of documents covering agreements, property transactions, environmental studies, permits, utility planning and records from meetings where the project was discussed.

At an August 24 county commission meeting, residents wearing shirts reading “NO DATA CENTER” demanded answers. Commission chair Charlie King Jr., who is also vice chair of the county economic development commission, cut off several project critics, including Southern Environmental Law Center attorney Ryan Anderson.

Anderson said the legal group had not “received any substantive documents” responding to its request. “Transparency isn’t a courtesy the commission extends to the public,” Anderson said. “It’s the law, and it’s the foundation of the public’s trust in how this decision gets made.”

Water has become another major concern because Cloverleaf requested up to 100,000 gallons per day for a facility spanning three million square feet. Pintlala can supply only about half that amount, leaving unanswered questions about where the remaining water would come from.

Protect Lowndes County has asked Thomas Ellis, chair of the economic development commission and a Pintlala board member, to abstain from voting on a water agreement. Ellis did not provide a direct yes or no answer, saying future decisions would depend on the circumstances and Pintlala’s interests.

The opposition crosses racial lines and continues pressing officials for records, environmental answers and public accountability. Protect Lowndes County says it supports investment, jobs and a stronger tax base, but opposes rushing a decision before disclosure while Cloverleaf continues pursuing a project many residents plainly do not want.