The linked article claims that sound can be heard "hundreds of feet from the data center". That is a very short range.

As much as I doubt that spreading of the data centers is a good thing, noise is not the weapon to wield. Unless we are talking the center of a quaint town. And possibly not even then.

The posted article measured 67db, the sound of a lively conversation, next to the data center.

I am interested to learn where the 96db comes from.

I see only vague claims about up to 96db inside of a server rack, but could not locate a concrete measurement or method used to determine this number.

I stopped reading this a few lines in at: "Because there is a lack of reliable data from sound level meters ..."

A decibel meter is about $20 on Amazon, often cheaper. I dont know what their agenda is, but they've got one.