OSU College of Public Health presents environmental impacts of data centers to Ashville Council
The Ohio State University College of Public Health presented a literature review to the Ashville Village Council on the environmental impacts of data centers, focusing on a planned EdgeConneX facility. The presentation covered potential issues related to air quality from onsite power generation, water usage, and noise pollution. Researchers recommended increased data transparency from companies and future partnerships for independent verification.
Ahmad El Hellani, an assistant professor at The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Public Health, presented a literature review on the environmental impacts of data centers to the Ashville Village Council. Hellani, along with Jianyong Wu and student Noah, compiled data on air quality, water consumption, and noise pollution, specifically addressing a data center planned for the village by EdgeConneX. He emphasized that the presentation was based on peer-reviewed literature and agency reports, excluding news articles.
The findings indicated that while most data center emissions typically stem from offsite power plants, the planned Ashville facility would have an onsite power plant. Hellani cited a study that estimated significant health impacts, including thousands of asthma cases and premature deaths, linked to diesel generator operations, even at 10% capacity, with effects extending to neighboring communities. Regarding water usage, Hellani noted that hyperscale data centers could use the equivalent of 61,000 households daily. He also mentioned EdgeConneX's plan for a closed-loop cooling system, which, while reducing water discharge, could increase electricity consumption and, consequently, air pollution.
Noise pollution was also discussed, with communities often raising concerns about low-pitch sounds. While EdgeConneX's consultant, Trinity Consultants, stated noise would not be an issue for residential areas, Hellani highlighted the lack of independent verification for this claim. He stressed the need for greater transparency from data center companies, particularly in providing permit-related data to communities early in the process.
Hellani recommended that the Village of Ashville secure full access to the data generated by the company and consider partnering with OSU for future independent primary data collection, potentially through grant funding at no cost to the village. Council member Jeff Martin expressed the Council's openness to such a partnership.