How data center noise is different from regular noise pollution, according to a St. Louis scientist
A St. Louis scientist explains that data center noise is a unique low-frequency pollution, traveling further and impacting human health more severely than other urban sounds. She raises concerns about a proposed Armory Data Center project in Midtown, St. Louis, citing health risks for nearby residents and facilities. While the city has passed new noise regulations for data centers, the scientist argues they are insufficient and do not apply to the already-approved Armory project.
Dr. Kasey Fowler-Finn, a St. Louis University professor specializing in sound, has voiced significant concerns regarding noise pollution from proposed large-scale data centers in the St. Louis region. She explains that data center noise, unlike typical urban sounds, is concentrated in low frequencies, making it more piercing, harder to dampen, and capable of traveling up to 3,000 feet, far beyond the range of conventional city noise. Fowler-Finn warns of severe health impacts, including sleep disruption, hypertension, and cognitive impairment, especially for residents within a half-mile radius of a data center.
Her primary concern centers on the proposed Armory Data Center project in Midtown, St. Louis, where she notes St. Louis University dorms and a Children’s Hospital wing are within the affected zone. Fowler-Finn has brought these concerns to public hearings. David Daneshforooz, CEO and co-founder of TerraWatt, the developer behind the Armory project, stated that they are taking low-frequency sound seriously and that the project's conditional use permit imposes tougher restrictions than the city's general noise rules, with independent monitoring mandated once operational.
The City of St. Louis recently adopted new regulations for data centers, including requirements for annual third-party noise reports, acoustically treated enclosures, and 600-foot setbacks from sensitive areas. However, Fowler-Finn deems these setbacks "woefully insufficient," as the most severe impacts extend to 3,000 feet, and criticizes the new policies for not applying to the Armory project, which was approved prior to their enactment. She advocates for developers to invest in quieter technologies rather than building data centers in residential areas.