Air Pollution From Data Centers Raises Environmental Justice Concerns in Rochester

A letter to the editor published in the Post Bulletin expresses significant concerns regarding air pollution from data centers in Rochester, Minnesota, particularly citing environmental justice implications. The author, a concerned resident, points out that much of Rochester is designated an environmental justice area, disproportionately affected by pollution that contributes to health issues.

The letter criticizes Google and Ryan Cos. for allegedly downplaying the environmental harm their data center projects could cause. The author references a Chamber of Commerce event where a local realtor dismissed environmental justice as "political activism" and a related lawsuit as "out of context," a stance the author strongly refutes by citing Minnesota state law on environmental justice and the severity of air pollution impacts, drawing a parallel to a child's death attributed to air pollution in the UK.

Specific concerns include fine particulate matter from data center backup generators and fossil fuel power plants. The author notes that Google has not disclosed the number of generators for its project, citing "trade secret." Furthermore, a massive battery project, described as the "world's largest battery," planned for Pine Island to provide backup energy for Google, was approved without environmental review or a safety plan, raising questions about its feasibility and potential impact. The letter concludes by affirming the validity of lawsuits addressing such critical health and environmental concerns.