Dear Judge Blackburn and Bell County Commissioners,

I am writing to request a Declaration of Local Disaster based on an "imminent threat of widespread damage, injury, or loss of life” resulting from water contamination and fire. I urge you use this Emergency Declaration to halt all operations and development regarding the ROWAN projects.

I am a resident of Bell County and I am deeply concerned about this recent news.

It has come to light that the City of Temple has an ASR well known as the “Rowan Well” surrounded by Rowan data center construction. As you know, ASR wells inject water into our pristine underground aquifer for storage, with the intent to pump it back out later. Due to the risks of contamination, this is a profoundly dangerous idea for our community. Under the County’s emergency management authority, we need an immediate, independent, third-party audit on this ASR well before another drop of water is injected into our shared water supply.

Furthermore, this facility poses an immediate physical threat to our community and our first responders, by failing to comply with UL 9540A fire code as required by law.

By failing to enforce this requirement, it is impossible for our local fire departments and first responders to design an accurate, safe hazard mitigation plan. This puts our first responders in lethal danger and risks an unmitigated industrial disaster that may contaminate large parts of the county.

I’m asking you to please use your emergency authority granted by the State of Texas to halt this development until full compliance has been proven.

Respectfully,