Ohio EPA drops plan for statewide data center wastewater permit, shifts to case-by-case
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has decided against implementing a proposed statewide wastewater discharge permit for data centers. Instead, each new data center facility in Ohio will now be required to apply for its own individual National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for wastewater discharge. This decision was made after significant public opposition to the general permit proposal.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) announced Tuesday a significant policy shift regarding wastewater discharge permits for data centers. The agency has opted not to proceed with a proposed statewide general permit under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
Instead of a single permit applying to multiple facilities, all new data center projects in Ohio will now be required to undergo an individual permitting process for wastewater discharge. This change means each facility must apply for its own NPDES permit before it can legally discharge wastewater.
According to the Ohio EPA, the decision to abandon the statewide general permit and move to a case-by-case approach was heavily influenced by a substantial volume of public comments opposing the initial proposal. The agency emphasized that this change does not diminish environmental protections, asserting that individual permits will continue to adhere to the same state and federal environmental standards mandated by the Clean Water Act.