EPA head passes on whether data centers conflict with saving Great Salt Lake
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin declined to state whether data centers conflict with efforts to save the Great Salt Lake, citing water reuse and energy benefits. Environmental groups and local residents, however, argue that data centers, such as the proposed Stratos project in Box Elder County, are in direct conflict with conservation efforts. A legislative committee is studying data center impacts, and local groups aim to put the project's fate on the ballot.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin recently appeared at the governor's Operation Gigawatt Summit in Deer Valley, Utah, where he was questioned about the potential conflict between data center development and efforts to save the Great Salt Lake. Zeldin refrained from directly commenting on a conflict, instead highlighting data centers' positive strides in water reuse and energy supply, suggesting they benefit local communities.
However, environmental advocates strongly disagree. Deeda Seed, a senior field campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity, asserted that data centers are "absolutely in conflict" with environmental preservation, citing public concern over resource usage. Seed has led protests against the Stratos data center planned for Box Elder County, which has garnered bipartisan opposition.
In response to growing concerns, a legislative committee recently voted to study the impacts of data centers. Additionally, a local group in Box Elder County is exploring options to place the fate of the Stratos project on the ballot, while state regulators are poised to review the project before issuing permits. Simultaneously, the federal government is considering allowing some data center construction to proceed without a major New Source Review (NSR) permit, a move the EPA describes as "cutting unnecessary permitting red tape," despite NSR typically requiring modern pollution control equipment.