Erin Brockovich takes aim at rapid growth of AI data centres with new project

Renowned consumer advocate and environmental activist Erin Brockovich has launched a new initiative, 'Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting,' which tracks the rapid expansion of AI data centers across the United States. The project, inspired by her past success with groundwater contamination cases, provides a map of operational and under-construction data centers and encourages residents to submit reports on their experiences and concerns.

Brockovich's website highlights a pattern of concerns, including environmental impacts, lack of developer consultation, and instances where local officials may have signed non-disclosure agreements before public awareness. Since its launch on April 27, the site has received over 3,800 reports detailing issues such as escalating utility bills, unexplained animal illnesses, and worries about long-term health and property values in communities near data center developments. Brockovich emphasizes that these individual complaints collectively reveal a significant national pattern of problems.

This project emerges amidst growing community resistance to AI data centers throughout North America. The article cites a recent example in Box Elder County, Utah, where a planned data center backed by investor Kevin O'Leary faced intense opposition, although residents' efforts to force a public vote ultimately failed. The broader goal of Brockovich's platform is to document and bring to light these widespread community grievances, advocating for genuine public engagement and transparent disclosure from developers.