Beacon AI Centers Indus Project Open Information Request

Good Morning Impact Assessment Agency of Canada Team,

I am writing to you today to express the local residents' concerns over the proposed Beacon AI Power Generation Center in the Indus, Rockyview County area of Alberta.  There is little to no information that has been distributed to residents and the broader community pertaining to impact studies on local wildlife, residents and the environment.  We have requested the below information directly from ELM Environmental who has been engaged by the project owner to act as their representative in the pre-construction consultation and we have yet to received any information in advance of the pending AUC decision later in February.

We are actively pursuing this information and I wanted to formally register our inquiry with your governing body on record.

We are a few of the many rural residents in the Indus area that will be affected by the Beacon AI Center - Indus Thermal Power Project.

I am writing as a local landowner in the area southeast of the proposed Beacon AI Centers Indus Project site, located approximately 2 km northwest of Indus, Alberta, in Rocky View County. Our properties rely on the local water table for domestic use, livestock watering, and agricultural irrigation, and we are deeply concerned about the potential impacts of this 1,494 MW natural gas-fired power generation facility on our overall community.

The project, as we understand it from online information and in-person info sessions, includes 100 natural gas reciprocating engine generators and combined-cycle gas turbines to power an on-site data center, and is currently in the early stages of review. As part of the ongoing application process under AUC Rule 007, I am formally requesting timely information on any studies, reports, or engineering assessments completed to date by the proponent or required by the Commission, including their key data findings on risk mitigation. For areas where studies are not yet complete, please provide details on planned future studies or engineering measures currently in process to manage these risks. Our specific inquiries are as follows:

1. Traffic Impacts: Regarding potential increased construction and operational traffic affecting local roads such as Glenmore Trail, 114 (https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?) Avenue SE, and Secondary Highway 791, including congestion, safety risks, and road degradation from heavy equipment and vehicle movements starting as early as Q2 2026, what traffic impact assessments or studies have been completed to date? Please share any data findings on projected peak volumes and mitigation strategies, such as rerouting or road upgrades. If none have been finalized, what future studies or engineering plans are in process to address these risks?
2. Water Impacts and Usage: Concerning the project's anticipated use of approximately 1,500 m³/day of potable water from Langdon Waterworks Ltd., potential indirect effects on the local aquifer, and risks to the 376 water wells within 5 km (mostly in bedrock aquifers with southward groundwater flow toward the Bow River), including possible drawdown from dewatering or operational demands impacting homes, livestock, and farms, what hydrogeological studies or reports have been completed? Please provide data findings on drawdown risks and monitoring plans. If not yet available, what future studies or engineering measures are underway to mitigate these effects and protect private wells?
3. Air Pollution Studies: For emissions from the facility, including approximately 1,128 tonnes of NOx, 781 tonnes of CO, and 180 tonnes of PM2.5 annually, with controls like selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to meet Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives, and considering prevailing winds carrying pollutants southeast toward my property, along with cumulative effects from other sources, what air quality dispersion modeling or health risk assessments have been conducted? Please include baseline data from nearby stations and findings on best available control technologies. If incomplete, what additional studies or engineering solutions are planned to ensure no adverse health impacts on nearby residents?
4. Waste Water Plans: Regarding wastewater routing to the Rocky View County Regional Waste Water System or alternatives, stormwater management in on-site lined ponds to prevent leaching, and potential contamination risks from process blowdown, domestic effluent, or overflows during heavy rains, what wastewater management studies or capacity assessments have been completed in compliance with the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act? Please share findings on system strain, spill contingencies, and groundwater protection. If not yet done, what future engineering or planning processes are in place to manage these risks?
5. Noise Pollution: Concerning operational noise from engines, radiators, turbines, and auxiliaries potentially disrupting the quiet rural area, with modeling in the Noise Impact Assessment predicting compliance with AUC Rule 012 permissible sound levels via mitigations like acoustic enclosures and silencers, including low-frequency noise and night-time cumulative effects, what noise studies or on-site monitoring reports have been finalized? Please provide data on verifiable limits and complaint resolution processes. If pending, what future assessments or engineering mitigations are being developed?
6. Impact to the Existing Electrical Grid: For the project's connection via a new 240 kV T-tap to the AltaLink Langdon substation, potential export to the Alberta Interconnected Electric System, and risks of straining the local grid leading to reliability issues or voltage fluctuations for homes, businesses, and farms, what AESO interconnection studies or grid stability assessments have been completed? Please include findings on redundancy needs and upgrades to protect existing users. If not available, what future engineering evaluations are in process?
7.  Light Pollution and Outdoor Lighting Compliance: Regarding potential light pollution from facility operations, including security lighting, building exteriors, and site illumination for a large-scale industrial site operating 24/7, which could contribute to sky glow, glare, light trespass onto nearby properties, and disruption to rural dark skies, wildlife, and residential enjoyment, what lighting impact assessments, outdoor lighting plans, or studies have been completed to date? Please share any data findings on compliance with Rocky View County's Dark Sky Principles (e.g., downward-directed, shielded fixtures to minimize glare and trespass, as referenced in relevant area structure plans and bylaws), or mitigations such as efficient/directional lighting and time-based controls. If not yet available, what future studies, engineering designs, or plans are in process to ensure compliance with local regulations and to reduce light pollution risks?

Additionally, for relevant engineering and geotechnical data, such as site conditions on disturbed agricultural land with Orthic Black Chernozem soils (Delacour/Indus series), topsoil depths are 14–38 cm, What is the top and subsoil excavation plan when it comes to export or on-site stockpiling of the materials and the effects of wind erosion to neighboring properties? What geotechnical reports or engineering studies have been conducted? Please share key findings on risk mitigations with respect to geotechnical analysis. If incomplete, what planned studies or designs are underway?

I believe these inquiries align with the need for a full environmental impact assessment disclosure to all residents, including cumulative effects with nearby existing and future developments. As the federal Impact Assessment Agency of Canada is currently accepting comments until January 26, 2026, I plan to submit similar inquiries there, but I ask the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada coordinate reviews and request the above information to ensure local concerns are addressed. 

Thank you for your attention to these matters.