AOC presses EPA over Morgan County drinking water concerns tied to Georgia data center development
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez questioned the EPA about Morgan County, Georgia residents' concerns that their drinking water has been negatively impacted by nearby Meta data center construction. Residents report discolored water and fear groundwater contamination, while Meta maintains its construction has had no impact. The issue highlights broader concerns about data center expansion and environmental oversight.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently used a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing to highlight clean water access issues in rural communities affected by industrial development, specifically citing Morgan County, Georgia. She presented jars of discolored water, stating residents near the Stanton Springs industrial area, approximately 60 miles east of Atlanta, attribute their declining drinking water quality to ongoing construction of a large Meta data center campus. Residents have resorted to shipping in water for daily use and fear groundwater contamination, a concern amplified in a documentary short by More Perfect Union.
Meta, in response, stated that an independent groundwater study it commissioned found no impact on residents' water supply from its data center construction and operations, adding that its water usage is drawn from local utility systems, not groundwater. The EPA hearing comes amid a surge in data center development across Georgia, which has raised broader questions about water usage, electrical demand, and environmental oversight. Ocasio-Cortez suggested the issue warrants wider congressional examination due to potential similar concerns in communities nationwide facing rapid data center expansion driven by AI and cloud computing. CBS News Atlanta has contacted the EPA, Morgan County officials, and Meta for further comment.