Pima County has adopted two new policies governing future economic development projects in the fallout from the secretive and contentious Project Blue data center.
In July, District 3 Supervisor Jen Allen asked county officials to draft new rules on non-disclosure agreements and environmental impact reports, after she criticized the NDA used by Project Blue stakeholders.
The new NDA policy sets higher standards for non-disclosure agreements related to economic development, most notably their duration, scope and who has the authority to sign them.
The second policy requires “enhanced due diligence” to measure a proposal’s impacts on air, water, and climate in economic impact reports. One of the biggest criticisms of Project Blue was its potential draw on natural resources, said Allen.
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