DEQ meeting about data center water discharging into Lake Anna tributaries turns contentious
A public meeting held by the Virginia DEQ regarding Amazon's permit to discharge cooling water from its data centers into Lake Anna tributaries in Louisa County turned contentious. Many attendees were frustrated after learning they would not be allowed to speak, leading to public outbursts. The permit would allow Amazon to release 280,000 gallons of cooling water daily.
A public meeting hosted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) concerning a draft permit for Amazon Web Services' data centers in Louisa County, Virginia, quickly escalated into a contentious event. The permit would allow Amazon to discharge 280,000 gallons of cooling water daily into Sages Creek, a tributary of Lake Anna.
The meeting, held at Louisa County Middle School, was intended to address questions about the DEQ's published answers regarding the draft permit. However, frustration mounted among attendees when they discovered that only those who had previously submitted written comments or spoken at a prior public hearing were permitted to speak. The majority of the dozens of people present did not meet this qualification, leading to outbursts and unresolved questions.
DEQ representatives defended the process, stating they were implementing existing state legislation that outlines the permit process rather than writing new laws. The public's inability to voice concerns directly caused significant dissatisfaction among residents affected by the proposed water discharge into Lake Anna's natural water sources.