Datacenter developers accused of skirting key US pollution rules
Summary
Datacenter developers are using a method to divide their pollution sources into smaller parts to avoid strict reviews required by U.S. air pollution law. This approach helps them get permits faster and avoid extra pollution controls, even though their projects emit significant pollution that can harm nearby communities.Key Facts
- Datacenters need federal permits to release air pollutants like nitrogen oxides, ozone, and greenhouse gases.
- Some developers split large pollution sources into smaller ones, called "minor" sources, to skip detailed federal reviews.
- Skipping major reviews saves companies time, money, and effort but hides the true pollution impact from the public.
- Amazon and Duke Energy plan to install 649 diesel generators at a datacenter in a polluted, low-income area of North Carolina using two minor permits.
- In New Mexico, developers tried to avoid a major review by splitting a natural gas power project into two minor permits.
- A Maryland datacenter campus includes multiple datacenters with separate minor permits, collectively causing significant pollution.
- Experts say this "lego permitting" tactic is designed to avoid attention and bypass pollution rules.
- Amazon states it properly applied for and obtained all needed air permits for its datacenter project.
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