Illinois Farmland: An Irreplaceable Resource
Illinois contains some of the most productive agricultural land in the world. The deep, rich soils of central Illinois were formed over thousands of years and are classified as "prime farmland" by the USDA - meaning they have the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, fiber, and forage crops.[1]
Tazewell County sits in the heart of central Illinois' corn belt and contains significant acreage of Class A and Class B prime farmland soils. Illinois' state soil is Drummer silty clay loam, with a Soil Productivity Index of 150 - the highest rated in the state. Illinois uses a formal classification system where Class A soils (PI 133-147) represent the highest-quality prime farmland. Converting 321 acres of this land to an industrial data center campus is a permanent, irreversible decision.[2]
Once prime farmland is paved over, it cannot be restored. The topsoil is destroyed, the drainage is permanently altered, and the land is removed from agricultural production forever. Every acre of farmland lost to development is an acre that can never again produce food.
Wildlife and Habitat
The area surrounding the proposed data center site supports a rich and diverse ecosystem, including species of state and federal concern:
Bald Eagles
A Peoria Park District supervisor who has participated in annual winter bald eagle counts for 35 years surveys a roughly 90-mile stretch of the Illinois River from Marshall County to Havana (Mason County) - this stretch passes through the Pekin/Tazewell County area. Thirty-five years ago, there was 1 nest in that stretch; now there are dozens of nests. Unlike migratory eagles that visit only in winter, nesting eagles reside in the Illinois River Valley year-round. Statewide, IDNR calculates there are over 3,100 bald eagles in Illinois - "more wintering American bald eagles, in fact, than in any other state outside Alaska." Eagles are protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which requires a buffer of at least 660 feet between human activities and active eagle nests.[3]
Pekin Lake and Spring Lake
Pekin Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area encompasses 1,181 acres of protected habitat on the Illinois River adjacent to the city of Pekin. It is designated an Audubon Important Bird Area (IBA). The habitat consists of bottomland of sloughs, lakes, and low timbered ridges subject to frequent river flooding. It supports breeding rookeries of Great Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, and Double-crested Cormorant. Over 200 bird species have been observed; habitat is used by waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and Bald Eagle during migration.[4]
Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area covers 2,032 acres in Tazewell County, centered on an 8.5-mile long alluvial lake parallel to the Illinois River. It contains one of the few remaining upland pine forests along the Illinois River and over 17 species of aquatic vegetation including lily and lotus. A unique hydrological feature: tremendous spring recharge from the bed of the lake amounts to 52 acre-feet per day - this phenomenon occurs only in Spring Lake within the State of Illinois. Spring Lake Seeps is an INAI site (Categories I and II). Approximately 250 bird species have been logged by the Peoria Audubon Society.[4]
A large industrial development nearby would increase noise, light pollution, stormwater runoff, and habitat fragmentation - all of which negatively affect migratory bird populations, breeding rookeries, and the broader ecosystem that depends on these protected areas.
State-Protected Species
Tazewell County has 21 sites listed on the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI), including high-quality natural communities (Category I), specific habitat for state-listed threatened/endangered species (Category II), dedicated Nature Preserves (Category III), and outstanding geological features (Category IV). Notable sites include Spring Lake Seeps, Caterpillar Hill Prairies, Fondulac Seep, Indian Creek Woods, Manito Prairie, Fort Creve Coeur Hill Prairie, and the Mackinaw River (a high-quality stream, Category VI). ParkLands Nature Preserve was established to protect habitat of the heart-leaved plantain, which has declined from 20 counties to only 4.[5]
Habitat Fragmentation
Peer-reviewed research shows that fragmented landscapes have 12.1% fewer species than unfragmented landscapes. Globally, wildlife populations have declined 73% within the past 50 years, with habitat fragmentation as a major driver.
Large industrial developments fragment wildlife habitat, creating barriers that prevent animals from moving between feeding areas, breeding sites, and seasonal ranges. The effects of fragmentation include:[6]
- Isolation of animal populations, reducing genetic diversity
- Loss of migration corridors between habitat patches
- Edge effects that alter microclimate, vegetation, and predator-prey dynamics
- Increased wildlife-vehicle collisions as animals are forced to cross roads and developed areas
- Disruption of nocturnal species - approximately 30% of all vertebrates and 60% of invertebrates are nocturnal and particularly vulnerable to disturbance
A 321-acre data center campus would convert a large contiguous block of agricultural/open land into an industrial facility with buildings, parking, fencing, roads, and transmission infrastructure - fragmenting habitat connections between the Illinois River corridor, Pekin Lake, and upland areas.
Illinois Has Already Lost Too Much
Illinois has lost more than 99.99% of its original prairie ecosystem and approximately 90% of its wetlands since European settlement. IDNR states "less than 0.01 percent of the original prairies" remain. The state's remaining natural areas are fragmented and under constant pressure from development. Every additional acre of natural or agricultural land converted to industrial use pushes the state's ecological heritage closer to the brink.[7]
Heat Island Effect
A University of Toronto study found data center heat island effects could increase local temperature by up to 1.5 degrees Celsius and increase cooling energy demand by up to 7%. AI-configured data centers draw up to 10 times more power than traditional facilities, generating proportionally more waste heat. Air-cooled data center exhaust temperatures range from 25-35°C; liquid-cooled systems can produce exhaust above 50°C. The thermal range of a data center exhaust plume can extend up to 150 meters at low wind speeds.[8]
Elevated temperatures affect local ecosystems, increase irrigation demands on surrounding farmland, and compound the effects of climate change on the community.
Light Pollution
Data center campuses operate bright exterior lighting 24 hours a day for security. AI data centers could become "sensory danger zones" where light levels exceed thresholds at which there are fitness consequences for species. Nocturnal species showed 19.6% more activity in darker locations, with behavioral changes starting at approximately 6 lux. Light pollution disrupts foraging patterns, reproduction cycles, and predator-prey dynamics for nocturnal wildlife. It also disrupts amphibian breeding, migratory bird navigation (particularly concerning near Pekin Lake and Spring Lake on the Mississippi Flyway), and insect populations. In Virginia, proposed legislation now requires environmental review of data center sites for compliance with light pollution and nighttime illumination standards.[9]
Stormwater Runoff
For every inch of rainfall, a single acre of impervious surface creates 27,150 gallons of runoff (Nature Conservancy estimate). A 321-acre data center campus could generate roughly 8.7 million gallons of runoff per inch of rainfall. Runoff from suburban/industrial developments is 1.5 to 4 times greater than from rural areas, carrying road salt, oils, metals, tire particles, and thermal pollution into waterways. The proposed site sits between the Illinois River and upland areas - increased stormwater runoff could impact water quality in the Illinois River system, Pekin Lake, and Spring Lake.[10]
What Pekin Should Demand
- A comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) covering all aspects of the proposed development
- A wetlands delineation and assessment of impacts on protected waterways
- A wildlife habitat assessment with specific attention to bald eagle nesting areas and state-listed species
- A stormwater management plan meeting or exceeding state and federal requirements
- A farmland impact review assessing the permanent loss of prime agricultural soil
- A light pollution mitigation plan with dark-sky-friendly lighting requirements