NorthMark attorney explains air pollution controls and enforcement for Spartanburg data center

Sarah Martinez, an environmental attorney representing NorthMark Compute and Cloud, provided detailed explanations regarding the Valara data center's air pollution controls during a Spartanburg County Public Safety Committee hearing. Chairman Monier Abusaft questioned Martinez about the facility's classification as a synthetic minor source under its air permit. Martinez clarified that the permit includes specific restrictions and pollution controls that limit the data center's potential emissions, preventing it from being categorized as a major source. The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) officially approved the synthetic-minor air construction permit for Valara, which permits the construction and operation of 11 natural-gas turbines equipped with advanced pollution-control systems.

Martinez also addressed concerns about formaldehyde emissions, a key pollutant regulated by the permit. She stated that with the mandated pollution controls, estimated formaldehyde emissions would be reduced significantly from 117.6 tons per year to approximately 9.2 tons per year, keeping it below the 10-ton-per-year threshold for a single hazardous air pollutant. This allows Valara to maintain its synthetic minor source designation. SCDES's air-dispersion modeling indicated that the maximum modeled formaldehyde concentration would remain within state standards. Martinez defended the use of background pollution data from a Greenville-area monitor, explaining it provided a more representative and conservative estimate for the modeling conditions. For monitoring and enforcement post-operation, Martinez informed the committee that SCDES would conduct unannounced inspections, review records, and respond to complaints, with the authority to mandate corrective actions and impose civil penalties for violations. The facility itself will also be required to monitor operating conditions and maintain compliance records.