蒙大拿州就黄石县数据中心取水井征求公众意见
据蒙大拿州公共广播电台（MTPR）10月7日报道，蒙大拿州正就黄石县（Yellowstone County）一处拟议数据中心项目的取水井申请征求公众意见，让科技巨头对资源的需求与西部水法之间的紧张关系成为焦点。
据报道，该申请涉及为计划在比灵斯（Billings）地区建设的Quantica“大天空园区”（Big Sky Campus）数据中心项目打新水井供水。州监管机构已就水权申请开启公众意见征询期，让居民、灌溉农户与其他利益相关方在发放任何许可前有机会对项目用水发表意见。
数据中心冷却服务器需要消耗巨量水资源，水权已成为西部多个考虑引进此类项目的社区的争议焦点。根据蒙大拿州“先占先得”的水权制度（“时间在先、权利在先”），新用水户必须证明其取水不会损害优先水权人——在已然承压的流域，这是很高的门槛。
项目支持者称，数据中心将为比灵斯地区带来建筑岗位、税收与高薪科技就业。批评者——包括一些牧场主与环保组织——担心对含水层与溪流的累积压力，并质疑经济效益是否值得付出水代价。
蒙大拿州官员表示，意见征询期是标准审查程序的一部分。在监管机构审议公众意见与技术分析后，预计将对水权申请作出最终决定。
Montana Seeks Public Comment on Water Wells for Yellowstone County Data Center
HELENA, Mont. — Montana is seeking public comment on proposed water wells in Yellowstone County tied to a planned data center development, putting a spotlight on the growing tension between Big Tech's thirst for resources and Western water law, Montana Public Radio reported Oct. 7.
The proposal involves new wells to supply water for the Quantica Big Sky Campus, a data center project planned for the Billings area. State regulators opened a public comment period on the water rights application, giving residents, irrigators and other stakeholders a chance to weigh in on the project's water use before any permits are issued.
Data centers consume enormous amounts of water for cooling servers, and water rights have become a flashpoint in communities across the West considering such developments. Under Montana's prior-appropriation system — "first in time, first in right" — new water users must prove their withdrawals won't harm senior rights holders, a high bar in already-stressed basins.
Supporters of the project say the data center would bring construction jobs, tax revenue and high-paying tech employment to the Billings area. Critics, including some ranchers and conservation groups, worry about the cumulative strain on aquifers and streams, and question whether the economic benefits justify the water cost.
Montana officials said the comment period is part of the standard review process. A final decision on the water rights application is expected after regulators review public input and technical analyses.
图片来源：图：黄石县一带的黄石河与河畔崖壁。摄影：Sara goth，CC BY-SA 3.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
