Henrico County environmental review completed for QTS data center wetlands impact
A state environmental review for the proposed QTS Richmond 5 Data Center in Eastern Henrico County, Virginia, was temporarily suspended in August but has since been restarted and completed. The project, located in Sandston, would affect approximately 4.29 acres of wetlands, which QTS plans to compensate for by restoring wetlands in New Kent County.
The Henrico Citizen's "Environmental Watch" column reported several August developments in Henrico County, Virginia, including an update on the proposed QTS Richmond 5 Data Center. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) completed an environmental review for the QTS project, located in White Oak Technology Park in Sandston, on September 4, after a temporary suspension in August. The 44-acre data center campus is projected to impact approximately 4.29 acres of wetlands, necessitating an individual permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
As compensation for the wetland impacts, the developer proposes to restore about 10.9 acres of wetlands in New Kent County, a ratio of 2.5 acres restored for every acre affected. The final report on the environmental review is not yet publicly available. Additionally, the article mentioned a consent order between DEQ and Seppic, Inc. for air-permit violations and proposed county wastewater regulations by the Henrico Board of Supervisors to monitor PFAS discharges, though these were not directly linked to the data center project.