EPA proposal could leave the public in the dark on data center plans
A plan by the Environmental Protection Agency could make it harder for the public to learn about and comment on proposed AI data centers that have sparked a backlash in communities across the country and become a key election issue
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a change that could restrict public access to information about and ability to comment on the construction of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. This proposal would eliminate the federal requirement for states to notify the public and seek input before issuing air pollution permits for data centers and other industrial facilities.
The move comes as tech companies build hundreds of massive server warehouses to support AI and cloud computing. Critics argue that this could lead to communities being unaware of proposed data centers and unable to voice concerns before projects begin, effectively creating an uneven playing field in terms of oversight. Environmental advocacy groups contend that data centers should be subject to the same level of transparency as other industrial sources.
They argue that the current proposal undermines fundamental EPA principles of transparency and fails to account for the potential negative impacts these facilities could have on local air quality and community well-being.
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- EPA proposal could leave the public in the dark on data center plans apnews.com
- EPA proposal could leave the public in the dark on data center plans winnipegfreepress.com
