DNR sued over Port Washington data center environmental review
Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) over its decision not to conduct a full environmental review for a data center campus in Port Washington. The lawsuit, brought by Midwest Environmental Advocates on behalf of Sierra Club Wisconsin, alleges the DNR reversed course on its initial plan for a comprehensive impact statement for the Vantage Data Centers project, which is being built for Oracle and OpenAI.
Midwest Environmental Advocates, representing Sierra Club Wisconsin, has filed a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Ozaukee County Circuit Court. The legal action challenges the DNR's decision to forego a full environmental review for a proposed data center campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin.
The lawsuit stems from allegations that the DNR initially planned to conduct a comprehensive environmental impact statement for the project, but later reversed its decision. Elizabeth Ward, director of Sierra Club Wisconsin, expressed deep concern, stating that emails indicate the DNR had intended to perform a full review before changing course.
The data center campus is being developed by Vantage Data Centers for tech giants Oracle and OpenAI. The environmental groups argue that a project of this scale warrants a thorough environmental assessment.