Data centers raise air quality and environmental concerns in Utah, doctor says

Dr. Brian Moench, representing Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, has issued a stark warning regarding the environmental and public health implications of 21 data centers currently in various stages of development along Utah's Wasatch Front. Moench asserts that these facilities pose a significant threat to air quality, the Great Salt Lake, and create an unaddressed problem of electronic waste. According to Moench, each data center is projected to generate its own electricity through natural gas power plants. While natural gas is considered cleaner than coal, it still emits nitrogen oxide, a major contributor to ozone, particulate matter, and smog. He emphasizes that there is "no safe level of air pollution" and advocates have legitimate concerns about the cumulative impact on public health in the region. Beyond air quality, Moench also highlighted the potential for the shrinking Great Salt Lake to become a "toxic dust bowl" and the growing volume of electronic waste from obsolete computer equipment as critical issues yet to be addressed by developers or authorities.