Air quality concerns amid data center construction in Spartanburg County
Local researchers in Spartanburg County, SC, are raising air quality concerns regarding a future data center by Valera Holdings, which will operate as a large gas-powered plant. Studies by Wofford College indicate elevated particulate matter levels, but current state law does not require the company to disclose potential toxic chemicals. The Spartanburg County Council has scheduled a public safety committee meeting to address these concerns.
Local researchers in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, are investigating potential air quality impacts from a new data center development by Valera Holdings. Dr. Jen Bradam, an environmental scientist at Wofford College, and her colleagues are using sensors near the construction site, some less than a mile away, to monitor particulate matter in the air. Their preliminary data has already shown readings above 100 on the air quality scale, which is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, even before the facility's turbines are operational.
Dr. Bradam highlighted concerns that the data center, when fully built, will function as the eighth-largest gas-powered power plant in South Carolina. She explained that burning natural gas produces extremely small particles that are invisible but can pass into the lungs and bloodstream, linked to health issues like anemia and heart disease. A key issue is that current state law, dating back to the 1990s, does not require Valera Holdings to provide a list of potential toxic chemicals or monitor these emissions.
The Spartanburg County Council has called a public safety committee meeting for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Spartanburg County Administration building to discuss these matters. The meeting will be open to the public. FOX Carolina News is awaiting comment from Valera Holdings regarding the concerns.