politics
Trump’s EPA wants to let data centers hide their air pollution
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TL;DR
- The EPA is proposing to eliminate federal requirements for public notice and comment on certain industrial air permits.
- Advocates argue this change will allow data center developers and other industries to bypass public scrutiny and community input.
- The move would affect the New Source Review permitting process, in place since the 1970s, which applies to various facilities.
- The EPA states the change aims to streamline permitting by placing the responsibility on states and local agencies.
- Environmental groups and the SELC are concerned that states may forgo public notification, leaving residents unaware of new pollution sources.
- Concerns are raised that 'minor' pollution sources, as classified by the EPA, can still have significant neighborhood impacts.
- An example cited is xAI's data center in Tennessee, which faced public opposition and legal threats over air pollution concerns.
- Nearly 200 groups have urged the EPA to withdraw the proposal, emphasizing the value of community input for evaluating facility impacts.
- The EPA is currently reviewing over 4,900 public comments on the proposal before finalizing the rule.