'Turned quiet life into chaos': Virginia man sues Amazon over data centre

Austin Newsom's quiet life in Louisa County, Virginia, changed after Amazon began building a huge data centre next to his property. Newsom lives with his wife in a three-bedroom house on Jefferson Highway. His boat repair and detailing business, Central VA Marine, also operates from the property. He says the construction has brought constant noise, flashing lights, dust, heavy machinery and traffic. He also says his water began turning brown, flooding appeared near his property and vibrations caused cracks in his home. Newsom filed a lawsuit against Amazon in August 2025. The case is now moving forward after a federal judge rejected Amazon's attempt to dismiss the main private-nuisance claim in July 2026.Amazon's Virginia project is being built beside his homeAmazon began construction of its Northeast Creek Technology Campus in March 2025. The development is planned across about 374 acres and includes 10 data-centre buildings, three substations, logistics and administrative buildings, stormwater facilities and other infrastructure. One Amazon property listed in the lawsuit at 2694 Jefferson Highway sits directly beside Newsom's home at 2623 Jefferson Highway. Construction is expect...