Another AI data center news update that is even more infuriating than the last. I want to talk about something the EPA just proposed and it should make every one of us in America pay attention.
EPA Proposed NO 30-day Public Comment Period with AI Data Center Projects
Right now, if a company wants to build a big industrial facility like a AI data center, there’s supposed to be a 30-day public comment period. That means neighbors get a chance to ask questions and raise concerns before the permits are approved. However, EPA just proposed getting rid of the 30-day public comment period requirement for a lot of these projects, including AI data centers.
I’ve spent months working with folks in Beaver Dam, Port Washington, Janesville, Hermantown, and other communities dealing with AI data center projects. I’ve seen the well data and know what happens when a community doesn’t get answers before construction starts. Once the concrete’s poured, it’s too late to ask questions about groundwater and cooling systems and what chemicals are being added. We need this information.
It’s Not About Being Anti-Technology
It’s about basic accountability. If the a AI company’s building something that could affect your water, your air, your health, your property value, you deserve to be at the table before it happens, not after. The EPA Proposed NO 30-day public comment period takes away peoples RIGHT to decide What they wan built in their town.
The Good News About Moratoriums on AI Data Centers
The good news for some Wisconsinites is that this past week, Winnebago County and the moved forward with moratoriums on AI data centers for 18 to 12 months. In Columbia County, where I live, they are moving forward with a new rule not to allow county officials to sign non-disclosure agreements. Glenn Grofman has had years in Congress and hasn’t stood up for that kind of accountability.
NBC News – Newly proposed EPA rule could silence data center critics, environmental activists warn
