Ohio EPA drops general permit plan for data center wastewater discharge
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided not to proceed with a proposed statewide general permit plan for data center wastewater discharge. This decision came after receiving thousands of public comments and means that data centers in Ohio will continue to require individual permits for water discharge.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Tuesday that it will not move forward with a proposed statewide general permitting plan for data centers' wastewater discharge. The proposal, introduced in October, aimed to create a blanket permitting process for data centers discharging water into Ohio's rivers, streams, and lakes.
After nearly nine months of consideration and reviewing over 7,000 public comments, the agency decided to maintain its current individual permitting process. Critics, representing a bipartisan opposition, argued that data centers should adhere to the same environmental standards as other industries. The Ohio EPA stated that public participation was a critical factor in its decision to drop the general permit plan.