On March 2nd, 2026, the Mystic River Watershed Association submitted the following letter to the Everett Planning Board raising concerns about a proposed data center in the Everett Docklands Innovation District
March 2nd, 2026
Everett Planning Board
484 Broadway Room 25 Everett, MA 02149
Dear Everett Planning Board,
I am writing to you on behalf of the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) to provide comment on the proposed siting of a data center at the Everett Docklands Innovation District.
MyRWA’s mission is to protect and restore the Mystic River and its tributaries. Our vision is a healthy, vibrant, and resilient watershed for the benefit of all our community members. MyRWA centers environmental justice communities in our work and has advocated for, and taken action on, protecting Everett residents from climate-intensified risks.
Based on resident feedback, relevant research, recommendations of national non-profits, community based organizations, and experts, MyRWA is cautioning against the development of a data center in Everett due to their proven negative environmental impact and yet-to-be proven community benefit.
In Everett, almost every census block group is a state recognized environmental justice population, meaning that residents already face disproportionate environmental impacts ranging from financial burdens, poor air quality, and lack of access to green and open spaces. Residents in Everett have previously, and continue, to voice concerns about electricity costs, extreme weather events, and public environmental health concerns like asthma rates higher than the state average.
A data center may worsen these existing issues for Everett residents. Across the country, researchers state that communities that host data centers may experience increased energy costs for rate payers, excessive water usage and wastewater impacts, and poor air quality. Locally in Lowell, another Gateway City, residents who live near a data center in construction have already experienced adverse effects from noise and air pollution. Due to these impacts, the Lowell City Council recently approved a temporary moratorium on the permitting and approval of new or expanded data center facilities until zoning and planning regulations are updated to protect residents from noise pollution and protections against water and electric rate impacts.
Outside of the environmental impacts of a data center, the city and proponents of the data center should engage and educate the Everett community about data centers. To our knowledge, many residents, local organizations, and elected officials did not know that a data center may be included in the Docklands Innovation District. In a city historically overburdened by industrial and environmental impacts, it is critical to make sure community voices are informed and leading major decisions, such as the building of a new data center.
With limited land available for redevelopment in Everett, each decision on how to use available land has generational impacts. We support new land uses that result in equitable outcomes for existing residents: projects that improve environmental quality and public health, create and provide pathways to good-paying jobs, and increase the supply of affordable housing.
In conclusion, we thank the Planning Board for taking the above comments into consideration. We urge you to take a precautionary approach to this project and data centers more broadly, and either prohibit this land use or place a temporary moratorium until such time as potential environmental impacts can be evaluated and mitigated with local ordinance and regulatory updates.
Sincerely,
Nasser Brahim
Director of Climate Resilience
Mystic River Watershed Association
