David Caruth opposed Air Products’ proposed multi‑million‑square‑foot data center near his Pennsylvania home, arguing its continuous low‑frequency noise would harm his eight‑year‑old daughter Annabelle, who has autism, mild spastic cerebral palsy and ADHD. After health concerns — including sensory‑triggered regurgitation confirmed by tests at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — Caruth filed two legal objections citing the ADA and the Fair Housing Amendments Act. On May 27, the Upper Macungie Township Zoning Board denied Air Products’ zoning application; the company has about 30 days to appeal.
Father Fights Proposed Data Center Near Home to Protect Daughter With Autism: 'Got To Fight'
David Caruth and his daughter AnnabelleCredit: David Caruth
When David Caruth learned that Air Products planned a multi‑million‑square‑foot data center near his Pennsylvania neighborhood, his first thought was of his eight‑year‑old daughter, Annabelle, who has autism.
“I was like, ‘No, that's not going to happen,' ” Caruth, 40, who works for a medical technology and device company, told PEOPLE. “We got to fight because it would devastate her quality of life. And with it being so close to our home and really in a residential area, it made no sense.”
Annabelle was born at 24 weeks in 2017, weighing just 1 lb., 6.9 oz. Doctors initially said she had about a 10% chance of survival. “Those first two weeks were the hardest,” Caruth recalled, remembering the neonatal unit’s tense atmosphere and the families who lost children. By a combination of intensive medical care and prayer, she survived.
Physicians warned the family to expect possible neurological and behavioral challenges. At age five, Annabelle was diagnosed with autism, mild spastic cerebral palsy and ADHD. “From her birth through eight years of age, we've seen multiple therapists per week,” Caruth said. “So it's been a long road.”
Annabelle Caruth, 8Credit: David Caruth
Health Concerns Prompt Legal Objections
Caruth — a member of the Council Of Parent Attorneys And Advocates, a nonprofit that defends the legal and civil rights of students with disabilities — says his home sits roughly 1,300 yards from the proposed data center site at 7300 Cetronia Road, a property that once served as Air Products’ global headquarters before the company relocated in 2021.
He argues the facility would generate continuous low‑frequency noise and infrasound around the clock in what is otherwise a residential area, posing a direct threat to Annabelle’s health. “The average person might be like, ‘Hey, it's annoying to hear this sound,' ” he said. “She's neurodivergent and it puts her in a state of a constant fight‑or‑flight response. So her nervous system just basically breaks down. When there are a lot of sounds or lights that interact with her, her body will start vomiting.”
Earlier this year, the family took Annabelle to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for gastrointestinal testing after she began experiencing regurgitation issues at school. Doctors concluded that the way her brain processes sound and sensory input can trigger a physiological response that causes regurgitation — a chronic problem that can damage the esophagus and cause other health complications.
After researching the development, Caruth drafted and submitted two formal legal objections to township zoning officials. In one filing he warned that “this unremitting industrial acoustic profile poses a direct, inescapable hazard to her developmental well‑being and the physiological integrity of our home safe space,” citing Annabelle’s documented sensory‑processing vulnerabilities.
David and Annabelle CaruthCredit: David Caruth
In a second objection he argued the project would violate federal protections afforded to Annabelle under the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Amendments Act. “The law guarantees her the right to the equal enjoyment of her dwelling,” he wrote. “By creating an environment of constant sensory overload, this board is actively facilitating her involuntary exclusion from her own home.”
Local Opposition and Zoning Decision
When a local television crew visited, Caruth told Annabelle plainly: “You know how you don't like loud noises? Well, they're going to build a big, giant building close to our house that's going to be very loud.” She asked, “So I can't go outside anymore and play?” He promised, “I'm going to try, sweetheart. I'm going to try as hard as I can.”
On May 27, the Upper Macungie Township Zoning Board — in front of a packed room of residents opposed to the plan — denied Air Products’ zoning application and refused the company's request for a third continuance, according to the Morning Call. Caruth, who was not at the hearing, said he cried when he learned the board’s decision. “It was a heartfelt moment. It was a victory.”
Air Products did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. The company has roughly 30 days to appeal the zoning board ruling; Caruth and other opponents say they will continue to press their case if Air Products pursues an appeal. He added that, based on historical precedent, he does not expect the county to override the township ruling — but said the group is prepared to challenge the county if necessary.
Bottom line: A local father's legal fight centers on protecting his daughter's health and right to quiet enjoyment of their home in the face of a proposed industrial development.
Help us improve.
