The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) held two virtual public hearings on Thursday, March 19th, 2026, on a Section 401 Water Quality Certificate for the Project Louie Data Center in Mooresville, Indiana.
Read HEC’s oral testimony given by our Water Science and Sustainability Specialist, Susie McGovern.
About the Project Louie Data Center
The Project Louie Data Center encompasses nearly 400 acres of land and will impact wetlands and streams associated with Clear Brook, located in the Upper White River watershed. Specifically, the developers are planning to impact 600 feet of stream and 0.05 acres of wetlands.
HEC submitted public comments to IDEM, encouraging the denial of the current permit until it address the regulatory concerns brought forth in the letter, and proposing the solution of protecting all natural resources that exist on site.
HEC’s regulatory and non regulatory concerns with the Section 401 Water Quality Certificate for the Project Louie Data Center include:
- Impacts to Clear Brook, which has good water quality.
- The alternative analysis fails to explore the feasible alternative of total wetland avoidance.
- The wetland delineation completed for the project was conducted in non-growing seasons, which is contrary to USACE guidance, and limits the scope of wetlands identified.
- Isolated and exempt Wetland A, which will be totally impacted but not mitigated, could potentially be federally regulated.
- The removal of 13 acres of forest, which is critical to watershed health.
- The Project Louie Data Center will destroy natural resources, sever hydrological and ecological connections, and impair habitat and water quality.
The Project Louie Data Center will be owned and operated by Google. This marks the second data center proposed by Google, the first one which will be located near Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Between these two data centers, Google has over 1,200 acres of land that it is poised to develop. Despite having an immense amount of land, Google is still requesting to impact roughly 2.5 acres of wetlands and 600 feet of stream between its two permits.
Categories: Public Comments, Public Notices, Sustainable Development and Green Infrastructure, Water & Wilderness Protection, Wetlands