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U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) is calling on University of Michigan leadership to fully address the long-standing concerns of Ypsilanti Township residents at its upcoming town hall after it was announced that the University had selected the community as the site for the controversial Los Alamos National Laboratory data center.

“Ypsilanti Township residents have not been given sufficient opportunity to ask direct questions, challenge assumptions, or receive clear, honest answers from decisionmakers in real time. Given the scale and long-term implications of this project, the local community deserves far more than a one-way briefing that leaves questions unanswered and creates even more questions. The community deserves real engagement, transparency, and accountability,” said Congresswoman Dingell.

In a statement following the University’s site-selection announcement, Congresswoman Dingell reiterated that the way the University has communicated with the community is unacceptable. For years, Congresswoman Dingell has joined residents and local leaders in raising serious concerns about this project and the lack of transparency from the University. 

“Key concerns include water use, such as how much water the facility will require, where it would come from, and what safeguards are in place to protect long-term regional supply. They also include energy demand and infrastructure strain, particularly how the data center will impact the electrical grid, who would bear the costs, and how it aligns with renewable energy commitments,” Congresswoman Dingell continued.

In her latest letter to University leadership, the congresswoman called on them to use the upcoming town hall as a true public town hall on its proposed data center — one that goes beyond a controlled presentation or pre-scripted information session and instead allows for genuine, two-way community dialogue.

A copy of the letter can be found HERE and below:

Dear President Grasso:

This letter is regarding the University of Michigan’s announcement that it will hold a third public town hall on September 9, 2026, concerning the proposed data center in Ypsilanti Township.

The University must hold a true public town hall on its proposed data center — one that goes beyond a controlled presentation or pre-scripted information session and instead allows for genuine, two-way community dialogue. To date, the two events the University offered did not amount to a real town hall, and one was not even in the impacted community. Ypsilanti Township residents have not been given sufficient opportunity to ask direct questions, challenge assumptions, or receive clear, honest answers from decisionmakers in real time. Given the scale and long-term implications of this project, the local community deserves far more than a one-way briefing that leaves questions unanswered and creates even more questions. The community deserves real engagement, transparency, and accountability.

It is imperative that the University will use the September 9 event as an opportunity to meaningfully engage with the community and address the serious and unresolved questions surrounding this project.

Key concerns include water use, such as how much water the facility will require, where it would come from, and what safeguards are in place to protect long-term regional supply. They also include energy demand and infrastructure strain, particularly how the data center will impact the electrical grid, who would bear the costs, and how it aligns with renewable energy commitments. The Ypsilanti Township community is also concerned that this facility may be involved in the production of nuclear weapons and the study of defense capabilities. These are foundational public-interest issues that require open scrutiny, not limited disclosure. Equally important are the broader environmental impacts, including land use changes, emissions, heat generation, and potential effects on local ecosystems. The community deserves to understand not only the projected impacts, but also what mitigation strategies are being proposed, how effective they are expected to be, and what uncertainties remain.

There are also significant public safety and community impacts that must be addressed openly. These include construction-related disruption, long-term operational risks, traffic and infrastructure stress, and the cumulative effects on surrounding neighborhoods and public services. Questions also remain about how the project will affect local fire and law enforcement resources, given the University’s tax-exempt status and the potential demands this facility could place on local services. These concerns directly affect Ypsilanti Township and its residents’ quality of life, making public input essential rather than optional.

The town hall must be open to all members of the Ypsilanti Township community who wish to attend, without attendance restrictions, and provide residents a meaningful and real opportunity to raise their questions and receive answers. I have been calling on the University to hold a real town hall on this project and to meaningfully engage with the Ypsilanti Township community for years. The University cannot continue to disregard the community’s concerns and opposition simply because it disagrees with them, and the University needs to listen to why the community is opposed to this project.

I urge the University to treat the September 9, 2026, town hall as a true town hall and demonstrate through its actions a commitment to transparency, accountability, and meaningful community engagement. The University’s actions to date have contributed to the strong opposition of this project within the community, and my constituents deserve clear and substantive answers about how they will be impacted.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.