SELC files petition to vacate air quality permits for Amazon project
The Southern Environmental Law Center filed a petition challenging air quality permits for Amazon’s data center project in Richmond County, North Carolina. The petition argues that permits for 649 diesel generators—588 for Amazon and 57 temporary units operated by Duke Energy—improperly avoid Clean Air Act requirements and could harm nearby communities.
The Southern Environmental Law Center filed a contested-case petition on behalf of the Richmond County Coalition for Justice and Black Empowerment, challenging air quality permits issued by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality for an Amazon data center near Hamlet. One permit covers 588 backup generators for Amazon, while another allows Duke Energy to operate 57 temporary generators for up to 364 days while the facility awaits grid interconnection.
SELC argues that splitting the permits improperly avoids review of the combined emissions from 649 diesel-fired generators and poses health risks to nearby residents. Coalition co-founder Shaun Ingram cited existing pollution and limited health-care access in Richmond County, while Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman said data center generators operate rarely and are subject to emissions permitting and modern pollution controls. The state environmental agency declined to comment because the matter is pending litigation.