Marc Roberts of Utah says to shutter water supply to NSA’s data center

State Rep. Marc Roberts of Utah said water authorities ought to shut off the lines that feed the National Security Agency’s massive data center located just outside Salt Lake City as a means of curtailing the government’s spy activities on innocent Americans.

Mr. Roberts introduced a bill to do just that, and fellow lawmakers have been studying its text and mulling its proposed action, The Associated Press reported. But they put off formal debate on it last session.

Now, as debate about — and awareness of — the NSA’s growing surveillance tactics makes the media rounds, his bill is being touted once again as a needed measure.

“This is not a bill just about a data center,” said Web developer Joe Levi in the AP report. “This is a bill about civil rights. This is a bill that needs to be taken up and needs to be taken seriously.”

Peter Ashdown, the founder of Internet provider XMision, a Salt Lake City-based operation, said the data center was a black mark against the state.

“I do encourage [lawmakers] to stand up and do something about it,” he said, AP reported.

Lawmakers won’t consider shuttering the $1.7 billion facility. But some say other actions are warranted — other actions that could send a strong message to Washington, D.C., representatives about the growing frustrations with the NSA and its unwarranted spy operations, AP said.

“We may look at some type of a strong message to give our representatives to take back to Congress,” said Sen. David Hinkins, who represents Orangeville, AP reported.

The NSA chose Utah to build its largest data center because of the state’s abundant and cheap supplies of electricity. The facility is located on a military base about 25 miles outside Salt Lake City, in Bluffdale.

The facility is largely secretive, off-limits to public visitations or review, but was roundly criticized as being a key collection point for millions of U.S. telephone records and digital communications swept up during NSA surveillance operations.

Cutting off access to its water supply — and electricity — would basically shut down its operations.