Former EPA Officials: Trump Is Letting Data Centers Make People Sick

Former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials warn that Donald Trump's administration is jeopardizing public health by weakening pollution safeguards to accommodate the rapid expansion of data centers powering AI technologies. Since January 2025, the Trump EPA has taken at least 30 actions to systematically roll back pollution regulations, permitting processes, inspection standards, and other safeguards.

Currently, there are approximately 3,000 data centers in the U.S., with over 1,500 more planned. Dan Costa, an EPA veteran for 35 years, highlights that the EPA used to have a dedicated team of researchers investigating pollution threats, but this workforce has been dismantled under Trump. The administration's priorities now focus on advancing AI, leading to a shift away from strict enforcement of pollution standards.

This deregulation has enabled data center developers to expand rapidly, often by keeping old coal-fired plants operational or easing regulations for onsite fossil fuel-powered turbines. One study cited in the report suggests that pollution from the AI boom could result in 1,300 additional deaths annually. Former EPA administrator Lynn Goldman stresses that the health impacts of increased data center pollution could manifest quickly, such as heart attacks or premature births, or develop over years, like cancer.

She emphasizes that the AI industry's pursuit of supremacy should not come at the expense of public health.