Concerned Citizens of Watts Township, a local community in Perry County, PA, are facing an unprecedented challenge. Residents here are under siege by an out-of-state developer, MRP Industrial, who has submitted plans for a large industrial data center complex. This development threatens not only Watts Township, but all of Perry County, and impacts one of the most historical and ecologically significant locations in Pennsylvania.

The proposed site is situated next to Haldeman Island bird and wildlife sanctuary and MRP Industrial would like to dump their "treated" wastewater discharge in the Susquehanna River right next to the island.

The proposed impact zone is also within the Appalachian Trail buffer zone, and any industrial development in this location would destroy the views and vistas from Hawk Rock, Peters Mountain, and many other locations along the Appalachian Trail.

The area is right in the middle of key migratory bird paths, home to Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons and more. It is also directly between, and at the convergence of the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers.

This location is also historically significant, with a plethora of Native American camps, settlements, burial mounds and other archaeological finds discovered and still waiting to be discovered, along with a rich canal history.

The project would extract essential agricultural, conservational, and rural resources, replacing them with excessive noise, light, air, and water pollution.

The result would be the loss of our peaceful and rural community, lowered home and property values, erased equity, and negative impacts on health and well-being, along with countless other environmental concerns.

Evidence suggests this is a complex situation, possibly coordinated with a few former and current planning commissioners, former supervisors, and a consulting associates firm who appears to have been hired by the developer.

These actions raise serious questions about transparency, fairness, and the integrity of the process and the whole situation presented by MRP Industrial has evidence and numerous indications of MRP Industrial acting in bad faith with disingenuous behavior and misleading claims while obscuring the true impact and scale of the damages and losses the community would endure.

To protect our community, we need an intense and multi-faceted approach which includes the ability to retain a land-use legal team who can review the ordinance and process, advise us on legal options, prepare necessary filings, and ensure residents’ rights are protected.

All contributions will go toward legal consultation and representation, filing fees, entity establishment, expert analysis, and ensuring the community has a fair and lawful path to challenge unsafe or improper zoning decisions.

Any unused balance will support continued community efforts for transparency and responsible planning.

Our goal is to lay the foundation and framework necessary to protect not only Watts Township and Perry County, but also to serve as a model for other townships and counties across Pennsylvania and the United States, helping them protect their own communities as well.

Every donation, interaction, like, share, suggestion, recommendation, and referral helps. No matter the size or scale of your efforts, they all help move us closer to securing the professional support we need at a critical moment.

Your support will help us protect our township, our county, the rest of the state, and beyond, while helping to inspire and lead other communities to stand up for their rights and environment.